January 8, 2021
From Pastor Dennis:
Today, I am writing to encourage you, child of God, “do not lose hope!” There is only one way to do that, and it is to keep the faith delivered to us through the Holy Scriptures. Discard all else, but keep the faith! In Paul’s letters to Timothy – 1 Timothy 1:18-19 (NCV) – Paul encouraged Timothy to remember the words spoken over him. Here is what he said: 18)Timothy, my child, I am giving you a command that agrees with the prophecies that were given about you in the past. I tell you this so you can follow them and fight the good fight. 19)Continue to have faith and do what you know is right. Some people have rejected this, and their faith has been shipwrecked.
God has not changed His mind about you! He loves you and what He has done and still doing in your life is real. Agree with Him! His encouragement to us all is to keep trusting in Him with all of our heart and do not lean upon our own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all we say and do and He will direct our pathway in life. The power of darkness is surging in the earth as I write. But, we can fight the good fight and still win the victories that are important to God and to us!
Continue to live life by faith, not sight! Do what you know is right according to the manual on faith, the Bible. There may be many who turn from the way of the Lord in all that is happening in our nation and in our world. But, this will only cause trouble and disaster to come upon those who abandon the principles of faith as presented in the Word of God the Bible. Here is a final word…
Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]. (Hebrews 4:14-16 AMP)
May His Grace, Peace, and Love be upon you…in Jesus’ Name! AMEN
-Pastor Dennis Langford
We are living in perilous and trying times. Our hearts must look toward God our Creator and Lord. There has never been a better time to get our lives right before God. Cleansing our hands and hearts before Him should be a priority. He is always available to His children. His heart is open to their cry. Nevertheless, when we are in rebellion and anger towards Him, we cannot walk in faith toward Him. Our own hearts are not open to hear His response to our cry.
God does not get angry at our anger against Him. He knows our understanding is darkened in some area causing us to see through a veil of anger and bitterness. We cannot see Him as He truly is. It is when we have a contrite and repentant heart that we see who He is and what He has planned for us.
Let us take this time of trials to check our own life out through His eyes. Let Him clean out the places of pain and rebellion in us, so He can heal us, forgive us and the flow of relationship become restored between us. When this happens those prayers and declarations we speak in faith will be answered quickly.
2 Why are the nations so angry?
Why are the people making such foolish plans?
2 Their kings and leaders join together
to fight against the Lord and his chosen king.
3 They say, “Let’s rebel against them.
Let’s break free from them!”
4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs at them.
The Lord makes fun of them.
5 He speaks to them in anger,
and it fills them with fear.
6 He says, “I have chosen this man to be king,
and he will rule on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 Let me tell you about the Lord’s agreement:
He said to me, “Today I have become your father,
and you are my son.
8 If you ask, I will give you the nations.
Everyone on earth will be yours.
9 You will rule over them with great power.
You will scatter your enemies like broken pieces of pottery!”
10 So, kings and rulers, be smart
and learn this lesson.
11 Serve the Lord with fear and trembling.
12 Show that you are loyal to his son,
or the Lord will be angry and destroy you.
He is almost angry enough to do that now,
but those who go to him for protection will be blessed.
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
It is our choice who or what we look to with intent. Will we look at the newspapers, TV news programs, Facebook, Twitter, other media platforms, our family and friends? When life gets really hard to deal with when there seem to be enemies all around us, who do we look to for help?
The book of Hebrews in the Bible tells us to fix or focus on Jesus. He has already gone where we are going. He already conquered sin, sickness, and death. He has released his anointing through Holy Spirit to be used by his saints in His name. It is time to stop looking around us and start truly looking at the Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the answer.
” Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The challenge before us today is, follow Christ and be at rest and in peace. Or follow the blast of negative words around us and walk in fear and distress. There is such a wonderful place of rest once we choose to listen to the Bible instead of the world around us. God loves us so much and wants the best of life for us. When we can let Him lead us through the trial, we will succeed! Praise God. One of my favorite Scriptures which had led me out of so many places of fear and distress is:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
When we confess the Word of God out loud, in faith, God steps in to answer us. Let’s join in the “I believe God” team and start winning this battle!
‘
Fear is like a raging, clawing beast, destroying peace and love in our lives. It tears at us, rages and shoves against us. It can come day or night without warning. Sudden events can trigger it quicker than any other thing. Learning about a serious disease, an accident, loss of job or relationship, money needs being more than the present supply can open the door for fear.
God has spoken over and over in the Bible about conquering fear. He would come into a group of people or speak one-on-one and speak faith and life into a place of fear and loss. We walk by faith and not by sight, yet that faith must be acted on to become alive in our hearts. We can speak to fear and tell it to leave our presence in the Name of Jesus and the power of His blood-bought Covenant. The only fear we are to walk in is the fear of the Lord.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 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. 18 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.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Anytime fear tries to war against you with lies and temptations, choose to speak out against it by declaring what the Bible says about it. Take your Holy Spirit given authority and send fear packing. That sounds easy, doesn’t it? It may take you a few times of declaring out loud the Word of God, but keep doing it until you see the victory in Christ Jesus!
I pray you rout fear out of your lives, one day at a time. Thereby growing in faith in God’s provision for all things in your life.
