For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

When Jesus shows up in a rough situation He calms the storm. Fears that try to plague your life are not coming to you from God. God wants you to be filled with a victorious spirit. His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). He loves you not on the basis of deeds done in righteousness but because of His mercy (Titus 3:5). When you realize that God loves you completely, and that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39), fear can’t stay.

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad” (Prov. 12:25). God is calling us to better things than giving ourselves over to worry from the time we wake up till the time we go to bed. When I’ve been worried and discouraged, God has instructed me to go to the Word and read His promises and remember His great faithfulness.

To defeat fear, make the Word your confession:
• My God shall supply all of my need. Philippians 4:19
• No weapon formed against me will prosper. Isaiah 54:17
• Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4
• The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:18
• Jesus became a curse for me so the blessings of God would come upon me. Galatians 3:13-14
• These blessings come upon me and overtake me. Deuteronomy 28:2
• My barn is filled with plenty. Proverbs 3:10
• My cup runs over. Psalm 23:5
• His grace is sufficient; His power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
• Having done all to stand, I stand. Ephesians 6:13-15

Get in your A-game by getting in the Word. Some of you will have to stop the negative intake you have been allowing into your life. Some of you need to meditate on the scripture in Philippians: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:6-7). Your situation may feel hopeless, but with God nothing is impossible. Give your worry over to Him and choose to step into the New Year with a spirit of faith.

God’s promises are true,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32

Like Issachar’s tribe, God wants to sensitize us to His timing. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that “there is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (3:1). It’s essential to understand the times in order to prepare for God’s calling.

God is bringing the nations to our doorstep and we must rouse ourselves. We’re getting ready to expand as a church, despite the fluctuating economy. It’s the right time to move forward. The church is not subject to the world’s ebb and flow because “we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). When darkness encroaches, we’ll step up and bring the light. “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Get Alone With God: 1. In Prayer 2. In Quietness 3. In the Bible 4. In Praise. Esther prepared for her “such a time as this.” There are things that God wants to do through your life that you must prepare for. Between birth and death you have this thing called life, which is your season on earth to champion the cause of Christ: to manifest the love of God, to exhibit kindness, to press on through the battles, to achieve the great accomplishments for which you’ve been set apart.

Above all else, we must be sensitized to God’s timing and to what He is saying. During the dark time in her nation Esther relied on prayer and fasting. In the next month or so, some of the most significant decisions are going to be made for our land. We must pray now. Don’t lethargically wait to see what happens. Be an active doer of the Word. There are people attached to your obedience to pray big prayers, to avoid sin, to press on and not grow weary in well doing. As you push aside distraction and seek God in prayer, what was meant for harm God will turn around for good (Genesis 50:20).

Let’s move forward,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.