My sermon this Sunday is based on this message from Christian Author Shonda Savage. We just love the writings of Shonda!
Which is worse—the coronavirus or fear? Written by Shonda Savage
While I believe the coronavirus is a genuine health concern and safety precautions need to be taken, I believe the spirit of fear is the greater epidemic.
Actually, fear has turned into a pandemic. According to Dictionary.com, a pandemic “is essentially an epidemic that has spread even further than outside its epicenter.”
Fear is a tool of the enemy. Here’s what 2 Timothy 1:7 says,
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (NLT).
FEAR IS A SPIRIT THAT WANTS TO INCAPACITATE BELIEVERS SO WE WILL NOT ACCOMPLISH THE PLANS THE LORD HAS FOR OUR LIVES.
Here’s a testimony of John G. Lake:
John G. Lake, a great missionary to South Africa in the early 1900s. In his account, many people in South Africa were dying of disease. While assisting doctors during a bubonic plague outbreak, Lake was asked why he had not contracted the disease, since he used no protection. He said, “It is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” To demonstrate, he had them take live bubonic plague germs still foaming from the lungs of a newly dead person and put them in his hands, and then examine the germs under a microscope. The germs were dead! The energy and presence of God was invisible to the naked eye but magnified under the microscope’s lens—there proved to be a real formidable, existing power that killed the virus. This is how John G. Lake explained why he did not get sick—he carried the cure in his body and spirit to heal disease through the power of the Spirit through Jesus. In another amazing testimony, John G. Lake asked doctors to bring him a man with inflammation in the bone. He asked them to take their instruments and attach it to his leg while he prayed for healing. Then he asked them what they saw taking place on their instruments. They replied that every cell was responding positively! John G. Lake replied, “That is God’s divine science!”
The same power that Lake tapped into is available to every believer. The Lord has equipped us and gave us power to defeat the enemy, including the spirit of fear and any disease.
Here are our weapons against fear and disease …
- The Word of God
Believe what God’s word says more than what the news reports say. Confess the Word with your mouth every day. The word promises that “no plague shall come near our home” (Psalm 91:10).
- The Blood of Jesus
Revelation 12:11 tells us we overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb. And Romans 5:9 says, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (NKJV).
- Pray in Faith
The enemy wants us to focus so much on the problem and bind us in fear to stop our prayers. Our prayers for ourselves and others are powerful.
James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (NLT).
Pray for our communities, our countries, and the countries around the world. Pray for our President and other leaders to have wisdom.
Today choose to conquer the pandemic of fear and the virus by confessing the Word of God, applying the blood of Jesus, and praying in faith.
Click here to download the Psalm 91 prayer.
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The prayer of protection from Psalm 91 plus more than 30 Scripture-based prayers are included in Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven.
In Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven: Petitions for Prisoners and Prison Families I share my unexpected prison family journey testimony. I also point out how the Lord redeemed the worst-of-the-worst offenders found in the pages of the Bible and explain an effective prayer strategy I learned from this experience.
I pray my transparency and vulnerability points to the source of HOPE for those who lost hope in the midst of despair.
Available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and other online book retailers.
OR, Click here to learn on how to order this book.
“Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”: FDR’s First Inaugural Address
Fear is a tool of the enemy. Here’s what 2 Timothy 1:7 says,
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (NLT).
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.
–John 13:34-35
Lynn Stoneking
I walked into the paper goods aisle this morning in a rural SW Minnesota grocery store. The elderly woman looked over at me as I stared at the empty shelf. She was doing the same.
“I can’t believe it. I didn’t believe it was actually true, that ALL of the toilet paper was gone.”
Her reply broke my heart.
“Yes, I didn’t either. I only buy it when I need it; I guess I’ll have to figure something else out.”
I went on to another store. Fortunately that place was rationing their supply to one-per-paying-customer.
I grabbed a package off the shelf, but as I did… I couldn’t help but wish that I knew who that grandma was – or that I could find her to get one to her!
Friends – we laugh about the silliness. I’ve joked about it…until I see how this stocking-up and hoarding is now affecting all of us, especially those who are more dependent.
So my plea tonight is simply this:
World – Check on your Neighbor!
Make sure they have what they need to get them through the next few days, then check again.
Check on the elderly and less-fortunate.
If you are someone who has stock-piled toilet paper –
Would you be willing to share some?
At no cost even?
We all gotta get through this somehow;
How about we do it Together?
I was talking to a single income mother of two today who told me all week long she was watching people shop and hoard all kinds of basic food like milk and bread and canned items. All the while waiting for her paycheck at the end of the week but the shelves are empty by time she was able to shop which was today. Please my Los Alamos, NM friends be considerate of the ones who live paycheck to paycheck. This is not the end of the world, and if it was you won’t be eating the food anyway. So sure enough I go today because It was my payday and I couldn’t even buy milk. At that moment a family of 4 was looking for milk also. Was a sad thing to see if I had mIlk I would of given it up for those kids. There are plenty of resources to keep us going for a while. One more thing do not listen to the governor. Go to church. In times like this we need God more than ever.
Blessings to all!
