A Refuge From Fear

I feel like God wants to speak to you through his word tonight I felt led this week under the cloud that we have been operating under in our country fighting a virus that is unseen we've been also fighting a spirit of fear but I stand before you as your pastor tonight and I boldly declare unto you that God has not given us the spirit of fear neither will we entertain the spirit of fear but we will boldly declare the gospel outside of the four walls of this church and we will accept the challenge devil we're going to take the gospel and we are going to see the greatest apostolic revival that this Church this community has ever seen if you believe that right in your home would you say hey man

I opened my message tonight with a forum of questions where do you go when you need to feel safe what do you do to get relief when you are facing threatening situations now for some of us we turn to food for comfort now don't anybody poke that person sitting next to you right now or point a finger in your living room at someone but do you do you go shopping I hope no one does this but in our society people actually turn to a substance it could be alcohol it could be illicit drugs you name it forms of addiction can be formed when we are trying to run or escape threatening situations many people today you are well aware of this suffer from terrible addictions they have developed by trying to cope with their fears for some it's not as drastic or so you may say some become workaholics while others are addicted to media of various kinds some escape into becoming what I would call a couch potato as they indulge into binge watching of their favorite TV shows many spent hours on the Internet possibly on Facebook Twitter or Instagram and may I add one other Amazon is coping with fear taking you into the world of escapism and addiction

I know this is not something that you know previous to the last 48 to 72 hours that you may have even considered or even thought about but the Lord dealt with me on this subject as we have been facing unprecedented times that I must as the pastor of this great church bring you good news not fearful news but that which is righteous and that is faithful according to the Word of God I stand before you and tell you that God has a safe place that you do not need to be fearful nor afraid you don't have to try and escape into a dangerous addiction to get relief from worry or fear I serve a God that wants to rescue you from every fear would you say that right now wherever you are every fear every fear that torments your mine every fear that's tormented your emotions I believe right now right in your homes wherever you are that God wants to reveal himself to you as what his word would be a loving Heavenly Father he loves us would you say this with me God is for me God is for his children but what he wants us to do as he becomes our Father come running into his arms of comfort and protection

the Bible gives us a beautiful description a picture of a safe place in Psalms 91 Moses describes our safe place of freedom from fear and attacks of the enemy against our lives he says and he calls this place the shadow of the almighty sums 91 he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty somebody say Almighty in our modern-day lingo it could be best described as our very own home in God's presence over the next 14 days I believe with all of my heart that our residences our homes our vehicles the experience of church as we know it as we are taking it outside of the four walls we are going to come into fresh revelation and a realization that God's presence is just as real where you are as it is within the four walls of this house I want you to go to bed tonight and know the comfort of knowing you can run into his presence right in your living room right in your Headroom and God wants to protect you from all harm with his great power God wants somebody to hear this tonight you don't have to live in fear in this season of life I've come to prophesy this too shall pass nothing has escaped the fingertips of my god

you may say tonight what is the shadow of the Almighty let me explain to you the wilderness was a place where the children of Israel wandered for 40 years it was an extremely hot desert place no shade except that which was provided by the tents in which they lived in as a very nomadic people their only refuge from the hot burning Sun was in the shadow of their tins so they understood this powerful metaphor that Moses used to describe their safe place in God the shadow of the Almighty to better understand and appreciate what Moses was saying you also need to look and know the law of hospitality that God gave his people it was a law that told them how to treat strangers who came into their camp if you were lost in the desert if you were hungry if you were thirsty if you needed protection from an enemy you could go into Israel's camp the children of Israel were required to give you the help you needed because of the law of hospitality the process was rather simple and hear me well first you had to find the chief Shepherds name then you would go I feel the Holy Ghost and grab the court on his tent and begin to cry out for his help when you did that the law of hospitality required him he had no choice he could not reject you he could not put you away but it was a requirement to take you in and to help you you could find safety in the shadow of his tent all of Israel knew that when they took someone in they had to protect them with their life just as Israel knew we need to have a bold confident sanctuary Community Church when we come into his presence no matter where that may be when we call on his name he will go to the greatest extremes to protect you from all evil

when I read of God's name El Shaddai the first part of el means to protect you he has all power he has the power of a lion to devour its prey but he also has that defense mechanism that will defend you against every enemy even covered 19-second his name shadow describes his love and tenderness for you and I and I'm so thankful tonight for that love and tenderness sometimes we walk through seasons of life we need the El part of God that strong and mighty tower to deliver us but sometimes let's flip the coin we need God to hold us and comfort us with his tender loving care I believe that's what God is doing right now in the season of not only our local church but in our community in our nation in our world I'm so confident tonight I have a great assurance from God that he will be all that we need him to be in this most defining moment there have been times in our life when I didn't need the lion strength I didn't need the thundering power of God even though we may have felt horrible even though we may have been weary maybe we have been tested and maybe you have been tried I needed that gentleness of my shadow to hold me and lift me up above the shadows that's what God's doing tonight in our church

if you're watching by Facebook right now I can testify tonight of the experiences that we have had over the last ten years how God is truly been our shadow our refuge from fear I wonder how many times if it had not been for that tenderness if it had not been for that nourishment and strength that could have only come from the Lord where would we have been I would have given up I would have thrown in the towel put my el-shaddai was there in that secret place to grant me his blessings and his favor all I had to do was call upon his name all I had to do was pull his cord I'm preaching tonight I'm teaching tonight an encouraging word that is upon me for this hour I remember I know that my God is able I know that my God said he would never leave us nor forsake us that he would be a friend he would be a way maker he would be a provider and church family friends and tests God has not changed somebody shout Amen God has not diminished in his power you may say well why did God allow this I don't know maybe it's because tonight God knew that the church needed to get it we needed to get out of the four walls of the church we needed to get the gospel into the highways and the byways and the hedges and God said I'll let this happen now I'll allow this to take place so that my possible can be spread and those that have not ever experienced the refuge from fear and truly fine rest

I was quickly reminded this evening as I began to reflect and remember the lady with the issue of blood I remember I pondered for a few moments and it's not really begin to reflect and remember that all she had to do was touch the hem of his garment and she would be healed and then I asked myself what was the him it was the cord to the tent of the chief Shepherd not a man-made tent not in a desert or a wilderness but to God Almighty robed in flesh she ran to Jesus to seek the healing that she needed and when she touched the garment jesus knew someone had pulled that cord and immediately he turned and he said Oh touch me something happened that I hadn't felt I know that the disciples were bewildered it's such a question so many people around him and everyone was brushing up against him but Jesus understood it's somebody had touched him Jesus understood the difference between the hostile crowd and the touch of a woman who had run in to his shadow she had sought to touch him with one purpose to cry in her heart was divinely orchestrated by God Jesus recognized her faith and pronounced a healing over her life and she was instantly cleansed from a twelve-year sickness

I've come to ask this vast audience that will watch and that is watching do you need to be rescued from fear do you need to be rescued and healed from sickness maybe the thought of financial crisis is upon you maybe you've looked at the stock market today and what you see as frightened you just just a little bit I believe this night that God wants to answer your cry for help all of his power is at our disposal sanctuary Community Church when you run into his shadow you can have all of the promises that Moses described in the song it was a song Sam's 91 is a song in the name of Jesus in the shadow of the Almighty is healing what if we start singing that what if we start reading the rest of this week Psalms 91 and as an anthem I believe in his shadow is healing somebody say healing I believe it's health somebody say health somebody say blessing somebody say favor somebody say protection from harm and evil I believe if we start declaring and running in to our refuge from fear I believe we're gonna see one of the greatest apostolic revivals that this church has ever seen

I posted this afternoon on Facebook I saw someone one of our ministers and our fellow she'll post something and I shared it it totally changed my observation of the current crisis I know that's the way we've looked at it but he said words that became a personal anthem for me church is not canceled church is mobilized tonight in your home and counties and surrounding areas other states church is mobilized no we don't have a sanctuary field tonight but your home is filled with this presence your home is filled with expectation your home is filled with hope and love and compassion

I want to challenge you as I close my thought tonight that you would remain encouraged that you would remain steadfast that you would not that you would not give into the spirit of fear but rather run into the refuge from fear

will you bow your heads where you're at Lord in the name of Jesus God I'm asking you by your almighty power that you would bring a spirit of peace into that home or wherever those that are gathered or watching this God may they feel the strength of the Holy Ghost may they understand that you are a very present help in the time of trouble in need God I'm asking you that you would wrap your loving arms around this great church that you administer through your word this week and God as we prepare for what you're going to do this weekend God give us wisdom beyond our years and Lord I'm prayin angels are protection around this great body know that you would keep us and God that a fresh appreciation for the house of God would be birthed in each and every one of our hearts but God we will never cease to be the church because that's what you've called us to be salt and light father I thank you for what you have given us tonight for what we feel and god I'm asking you to surround us with your peace in Jesus name we pray amen