…Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.

As the familiar “Blessed Assurance” played in the background from someone sitting on the stoop outside of Trinity Episcopal Church, brothers and sisters in the Lord joined handsand hearts together and lifted up prayers and supplications to Jesus.  I was a little distracted by the song since the lyrics were playing over and over again in my head, but they truly seem to fit here.  God has been so faithful to us as His people…we HAVE been filled with His goodness, we HAVE been lost in His love. So, this is my [recent] story…

God has been revealing the fear that is in me.  This fear is not a holy, righteous fear
of the living God (although I find myself to possess such through grace), but it is a
fear that hinders, spreads lies, and debilitates, clouding my heart and mind.  Over and
over again, God has brought me back to 2 Timothy 1:7 which says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  We are called to
freedom and victory through Christ’s blood, not fear of the world and a cowering spirit. 
This is the same God who tells us in Hebrews that we can come boldly to His throne of
grace.  WE can come BOLDLY to the throne of the holy and almighty God.  Whom then shall we fear?  What does this have to do with Renovo and what God is doing on Sundays at lunch?  Well, I’m getting there…patience is a fruit of the Spirit. (smile)

As well, God has been working within me to strengthen the weakness I have in my thoughts. Out of fear, and other influences, I have allowed lies to come in and take root in my mind.  They are weeds and have overgrown there where God is desiring His glory in the fruit of self-control.  In order to combat these lies, God again has given me a sword,
that is, His Word.  He has continually brought me to 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 which reads,
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down
strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and
being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.  Really?  God
has given us the power to bring down strongholds, even the mental ones that have lingered so long?  Yes, yes indeed!  He desires all to be captive to Christ, and so do I.  And God wants to do that for me.  He has asked me to have self-control in my thoughts and then He takes them captive through His Son Jesus!  What grace that abounds!

Okay, Renovo, I haven’t forgotten.  This particular Sunday, I haven’t even set a foot in
the door when a guest comes over to tell me about a specific situation of hers that
sounds…err, extraordinary for a lack of a better term right now.  Once I go to pray, I
can’t get her off my mind and how the things she said just didn’t line up.  I knew I had
to say something, but what? And why me?  Oh Lord, You know I’m awful with confrontation and who am I to…fear.  There it was.  And yet, the Lord provided 2 Timothy 1:7 to let me know it was from Him and I was to talk with her.  So, I did.  And honestly, it was one of the hardest conversations that I’ve ever had.  It was hard, but it was the Lord’s and I know He used it.  The Lord also gave me 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 to pray over the guest because she is dealing with some warfare right now.  She has some thoughts to be brought into the submission of Christ.

So here it is, my encouragement for you:  do not take lightly nor despise the teachings
of the Lord, even those that are in opposition to things that are so deep within you that
you weren’t aware of its power over you.  We are weak, but He is strong.  Allow Him to
root it out.  And I challenge you this week to go over your thoughts with the Lord and
ask Him to take them captive.  You’ll be amazed at the joy You receive:)  And I encourage
you not to take such things lightly because He may ask you to share it with someone else.
And when He does, you get a small yet beautiful picture of the workings and unity of the
Spirit of God.  And as we are filled with His goodness and lost in His love, it spurs us
on to worship and serve our Maker, our God.  Glory be to Him, for we are but the works of
His hand!

~Leslie Kerchief, Co-director Renovo Lunch

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