Intimidation is one of the greatest hindrances to our accomplishing anything significant in this life. If you have ever approached your employer for a raise, walked into your church and just "knew" that everybody was talking about you, had to walk any distance in total darkness, or have stepped out to share your faith with anyone, you know exactly what I am talking about.

For instance, something that absolutely terrifies the vast majority of people in the church today is sharing their faith. For the sake of illustration, let's say you know someone who desperately needs Christ in their life and you have decided that today is the day that you are going to present them with an opportunity to receive Him as their Lord and Savior. You get prayed up, you grab your Bible, jump in your car and head for their house. About a mile or two into your trip it happens. An anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach shows up. The closer you get to the person's house the stronger this unseen force seems to be getting. Much like swimming up stream, the opposition to the fulfillment of your noble mission grows even greater. You begin hearing things in your head like, "am I really sure that I have what it takes to represent God to this person", or "am I even equipped to handle something like this?" Or, "what if I mess it up?" Sound familiar? By the time you arrive at their house, fear has gripped your heart and you find yourself contemplating whether or not you are going to press your way up to the door or turn and run. What has just happened, is you have experienced an attack by intimidating spirits, the same spirits that successfully prevent untold thousands from coming to Christ each year. How are they doing it? Simply by sowing intimidation to exploit the fear in the minds of those in the Church who should be sharing their faith with the unsaved, satan is rendering them impotent where winning souls is concerned. If you are ever going to do anything great for the Kingdom of God, you are going to have to learn to, not only stand up in the face of intimidation, but fight your way through it. If you do, what awaits you on the other side will far exceed your greatest expectations.

For instance, I once heard an amazing story documenting the various hunting techniques of several different breeds of carnivorous (meat eating) animals. The segment of the report that I found to be the most fascinating was the way lions pursue and trap their prey. As amazing as the other animals' tactics were, I especially found the lions method considerably more intriguing since intimidation plays such a primary role in the way they hunt for food. As male lions grow old, not only do they slow down considerably but their teeth also become brittle and painfully sensitive, making it very difficult for them to chase down and kill prey. In order for the big male lions to be able to eat on a regular basis, they recruit the female and young male lions of the pride to accomplish the difficult task of chasing down and killing their meals for them. This is the process. With both the female and young males in tow, the big ferocious looking male lion sets off on his quest for something to eat. Once he has spotted a herd of animals feeding in the distance, they very stealthily, sneaking up on them. This is where it really gets good. The big male, once in position, lies down as low as possible while the females and young male lions approach the desired herd very quietly. Once they are close enough to them, the old male lion rises up and lets out a tremendously loud and intimidating roar. Not knowing that the big male lion is relatively toothless, the herd begins running in the opposite direction of the old male. Unbeknownst to the herd, the female and young male lions are now in position to, with much greater ease, chase down and kill any of the members of the herd that they can catch. Hence, the intimidating sound of the old lion's roar literally drives the prey right into the jaws of death.

The moral of the story is- whenever you are confronted with an intimidating situation, walk straight towards it. Therein lies your freedom! If the unsuspecting animals had only run into the intimidating roar of the old lion, more of them would have been around to graze another day.

To overcome intimidation, we must overcome fear, because intimidation can only be effective against us when we are afraid. Over and over, the scriptures tell us to "Fear not!" We are most especially to not fear death or the devil. Instead, we are to only fear God. However, overcoming our fears is something we cannot accomplish by our own efforts. We must look to God for success. As the scripture says, "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Hebrews 13:6

How is the Lord our helper so that we do not fear what may happen to us? Well for one thing, the work of Christ on the Cross was needed to destroy the power of the devil to use the fear of death to keep people in bondage. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14-15

While the Cross is an accomplished fact, there is also the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit as testified by the following verses. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:17-18

This is actually fulfilled in stages. You start by examining your heart thoroughly, repenting of any sin that you have allowed into your life, and making sure that your personal relationship with Jesus is intimate. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."1 John 1:9 If you want to experience the power of God operating in and through your life, you must pursue purity! Next, you must meditate on both God's written and spoken word day and night. "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Next, you must press into God's presence until you get so close to Him that you can see yourself through His eyes, the way that He sees you! When you do, you will be totally amazed at what you see! "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." James 4:8 Did you notice that? We must first draw close to God "then" he will draw close to us! Warning, satan does not want you anywhere near God or His Word! Why? For starters, he cannot follow you into the presence of God. Also, because he knows full well that if you succeed in getting into, and truly meditating on God's Word, that you will be infused with the power and the strength you will need to fight through anything that he can throw at you. You will need to be prepared to encounter stiff resistance as you press into God's presence or endeavor to study the scriptures! For example, the intimidating thoughts that show up just as you start to study or pray. Thoughts like, I've got to call so-in-so or I have to run to the store etc. And perhaps the most obvious form of deterrence, becoming extremely sleepy just as you attempt to study the scriptures or spend time with Jesus. Herein is the doorway through which the spirit of religion makes it way into the lives of those who do not press through distractions. In the military, this tactic of deception is referred to as "divide and conquer."

Is there a right way and a wrong way to approach the throne of the Almighty King of all kings? Most certainly! The scriptures give us the key to the proper way to approach God's throne when it says that we are to "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalms 100:4 That is the only way that we should ever approach God, not rushing His throne with a grocery list of things that want or even need. When approaching the throne of the king of all Kings, we must always come bearing gifts of heartfelt gratitude! Not for what He can do for us, but for who He is. God is God, and worthy of all praise! And even when we don't get our prayers answered in the way that we would like to see them answered, rest assured, God knows exactly what we need before we even ask Him.

Once we have done this, out of a pure and passionate love for God, it becomes tremendously difficult for satan to convince you that you are not all that God says you are, and that you can't do all that God says you can do in Christ's name! I must add, the vast majority of the folks that I have ministered to who struggle with intimidation the most, do so because they do not know who they are in Christ Jesus! Why? Because they simply do not spend enough time alone with Jesus or study His Word enough to find out. If they do spend time in the scriptures, it is usually spotty at best, resulting for the most part in their not believing God or His word enough to act on it. This is the reason why so many in the church today are living lukewarm and defeated lives! I am often asked, "how can I know whether what I am hearing is God or the devil?" My response is usually, "if you have to ask that question then you do not have a close and personal relationship Jesus Christ." That is in no way meant to be a rude statement. It is meant to encourage folks to dig deeper! Our obtaining the ability to know God's voice is the key to a personal relationship with Him. It's not your church attendance or even how many scriptures you have memorized. Though these may be good things, they are not the most important thing! Without clear communication, there can be no relationship, whether it be with Jesus of anyone else! Jesus said it Himself! "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" John 10:27 If we are going to overcome intimidation or any other unclean spirit in our lives, we are going to have to be so familiar with God's voice that an impostor does not stand a chance deceiving us. This kind of intimacy can only be achieved by a total commitment to prayer (talking with God) and the passionate study of His Holy scriptures. Then we must do what we hear God say! James teaches us, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22 The doing or acting on God's Word is a crucial stage in overcoming intimidating spirits.

I remember the first time that I was asked to perform my songs as a solo artist in a rather large concert setting. It was in January of 1981. I had just shared a few of my songs with eight people at a bible study one night in Winston-Salem NC. One of the guys at the meeting had heard through a friend that I had been in music ministry and asked if I would share a couple of my songs. I replied, with a bit of relief I might add, that I had not brought my guitar with me. At that, the young lady who was hosting the meeting, got up from her seat, ran down the hall to her bedroom and returned with her guitar. Not having played the guitar very long at that point, I tuned it up as best I knew how and proceeded to play two songs that I had just scribbled down a week or two before. Just so happens, the sister of one of the student body leaders at the University of North Carolina was at that Bible study. Unbeknownst to me, she called her brother at some point during the following week and told him about my songs. Within just a few days, I received a phone call from him asking if I would come and be the featured artist/minister at a concert that they were putting together on the UNC campus in Greensboro the following month. Within a matter of seconds, I found myself being attacked by intimidation. I knew that I was standing at a fork in the road where my ministry's future was concerned and by the intensity of the attack I knew that something big was wanting to take place. What now? Do I face down the intimidation that was telling me that I was not good enough and perhaps miss out on something that God is wanting to do in and through my life? Or do I crawl out onto the end of this limb and trust God?

What I have not told you is that I had been a drummer professionally for a number of years prior to this and had very little understanding of how to play the guitar, much less play one and sing at the same time. Sure, I knew the seven basic open chords but certainly not well enough to pull off something like this. So you see, when the fellow from UNC asked me to do the event, only God and I really knew that by all natural reasoning I was incapable of doing the event. Not only that, but all I had at the time were six original songs and they needed for me to do at least fifteen with some ministry in between. To add even more pressure to an already overwhelming situation, he went on to tell me that one of the areas most well known Christian rock bands would be opening for me that evening.

There I was, standing at the threshold of a major decision. Do I walk into the roar of this extremely intimidating situation or turn and run away? All of a sudden, in the midst of the storm that was raging in my mind, I realized that I was being presented with a priceless opportunity to multiply my talents in a way that could potentially glorify God, and not just for that evening alone but for many years to come. With all of the strength that I could muster, I threw my shoulders back, gulped real big and said to the guy from UNC, "I would be honored to serve you in this way!" I thanked him for his trust, we prayed and hung up. Within seconds, it felt as if the intimidating spirits that were pounding on my head during the phone conversation had called in all of their brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and any other nasty spirit that they could recruit to try and convince me that I had just made a terrible mistake. There I sat, with only six original songs to my name and an old cheap guitar that I had paid forty five dollars for at a local pawn shop, staring down the barrel of taking perhaps the greatest step of faith that I had ever embarked on in my life. Believe me, accepting the offer to do the event was a battle, but not as brutal as the next fight would be - preparing for and doing the concert itself.

The next five weeks leading up to the event were some of the loneliest and most trying times that I had ever experienced. My pastor, his wife and myself had recently moved to that area (Winston-Salem, NC) and were heavily engaged in the first few months of a new Church plant. I had just six weeks earlier taken a job selling boats, working no fewer than fifty hours a week, and now this. As you might imagine, I asked God regularly to anoint me with the wisdom to write the other songs that I would need to fulfill the fellow's request for a total of fifteen. Now these could not be just nine more songs. They had to be nine songs that ministered life to people- ultimately drawing anyone who heard them into a deeper relationship with their heavenly Father. To say the least, writing those nine songs took many hours of prayer and hard work to complete and God was so faithful. On one hand, the five weeks leading up to the event seemed to fly by, on the other hand, they seemed to take forever.

When the night of the event finally arrived, I placed my guitar into its handless cardboard case, climbed into my trusty Ford van and headed for Greensboro. As I look back on that time, perhaps the one thing that added to the difficulty as much as any other was that I had not made any friends in the area yet and was having to do this with very little support from humans. Pulling up to the back entrance of the hall that evening is a memory that I will not soon forget. After finding a parking place, I decided to set in my van for a short while and pray. With what felt like the proverbial stomach full of butterflies, I looked toward the heavens, let out a big sigh and said, "Lord, lets do this!" I then climbed out of the van and headed for the building. As I was almost to the door, I looked around at the parking lot and noticed that there were many cars, meaning that the concert hall was already starting to fill up. With my Bible in one hand and my guitar in the other, I took a deep breath and proceeded through the door. Once inside, it was a bit overwhelming. There were people frantically running around getting things ready for the evening and the opening band was on stage doing their sound check. When the promoter saw that I had arrived, he immediately walked over, took me by the arm and began showing me around the place. While we were looking the hall over, I was greeted by several of the stage hands asking me if there was anything that I needed. Shortly thereafter, a guy shouted from the stage, "Keith, sound check in five!" Do you remember my telling you earlier about the Intimidating spirits that had dropped in on me with all of their relatives? Well, they were back, and were doing a pretty bang up job of portraying the stage and mounding audience as being Goliath himself. Five minuets later, I made my way onto the stage, struggled through my sound check and went back stage to await my time slot. Once the opening band had begun their set, I decided to make my way through the crowd toward the back of the hall and hang out where the sound guys were set up. As the band announced that they would be playing their last song, I started making my way back stage to get ready to go on. There I was, staring into the eyes of a Goliath-sized situation knowing that only one of us was going to step down off that stage in one hour the victor. I decided at that very moment that I was going to win this fight or die trying. As I was waiting for the announcer to introduce me, the intimidation had reached a fevered pitch. All of a sudden, with just seconds to go, one of the sound crew guys walked up to me, leaned over and whispered, "Keith, I loved what you did at sound check. And bye the way, the guys said that they can't wait to hear the rest of your stuff." Praise God, there they were, the five smooth stones that I needed to win the fight. The announcer then introduced me, I walked out on stage to roaring applause, and with a tremble in my voice started to play my first song. It was a good thing that I was wearing long pants that night because my knees were shaking pretty much uncontrollably. As I finished my first song, I could not believe my own eyes and ears. The entire crowd rose to their feet and broke into thunderous applause. The mountain that had stood in front of me for five long and grueling weeks was removed in seconds. I knew right then that I had pressed my way through. Not only had the intimidation left, but I began playing, singing and speaking with an authority that I had never experienced before.

It gets even better! After the concert was over and I was mingling among the crowd, something happened that even further exceeded my greatest expectations. People started coming up to me asking when I could come and minister for them. Also, in the crowd that evening, was a lady who managed a local Christian night club in the same city where my pastors and I were in the process of starting our new Church. They had just purchased an older Assembly of God church building in that very same community. She walked up to me and asked if I would come and minister for them the following week. I accepted her offer and, as they say, the rest is history. A few weeks later I was asked to began playing there one night a week and shortly thereafter, the club's board of directors met and invited our fledgling congregation to begin meeting in their new building as often as necessary. Not only was that in and of itself a huge miracle but they allowed us to rent the entire facility for the "whopping" sum of only one dollar a year. God was blessing us to overflowing! A few weeks later, I was playing at that same club when I was blessed with meeting Robert Pooley. He would join with me just a few weeks later to form the Keith Shealy Band. He and his lovely wife Vicki now pastor a thriving church in Gulf Breeze, Florida. That was only a few of the hundreds of great testimonies that resulted from my accepting that one challenging invitation on that cold winter night in 1981. And the good news for you is, if you will only press though the intimidation that has held you back from receiving God's best for your life the same kind of results await you!