God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear

Welcome to Carter Collins, 20, 22 national Day of prayer message asking the Lord for a return as soon the return of the this listing tonight and those in the site through the need to be free from fear. Just free fear of tomorrow. Fear of the past, fear of failure fear that will not not amount to the much in this life or further will even fail God that was Carter, and from Times Square church opening us in a special word prayer.

Let's join Carter now for the 2022 national Day of prayer message God has not given us a spirit of fear. Praise God, thank you. Thank you Isaac that you worship to God bless you those that are tonight. You may be seated.

What a beautiful song.

You know, that's that the evidence of God's interior working in each of our lives is very much like the Psalms, David King David wants to do. He took me out of a place set me on a solid rock and put a new song inside of my heart song that can be seen long before it's heard and I just thank God for that song I do I do this been such a stirring in this sanctuary tonight and I hope you're feeling it in your homes to as well online. II had had a wonderful message prepared tonight. I got notes and everything like two pages of notes and I worked on it a good part of today and I went over my mind and I have got it down and Glover sitting here singing worshiping the Lord said, but that away. I want you to speak on something else. Over the years I've learned to obey God when he speaks and because he knows who's listening. He knows who's here tonight that needs to hear this message.

He knows who's online tonight that needs to hear these words of God's going to speak to us this evening.

I want you to turn with me to the book of second Timothy chapter 1 and I'd simply call it God is not given us a spirit of fear. So father thank you God. God there was a time in my life that standing here with just a thought in my mind would be like jumping off a cliff.

I would never have considered it but I've come to know you over the years and how faithful you are. How faithful you are and God. It is, it is not a foolish thing to follow you when you lead us into somewhere with that were not familiar with the speak something Lord that's on your heart to speak because we don't live by men's thoughts. We live by the power of God so father tonight. I'm asking you to release your power in the sanctuary. Release your power online God Almighty that we were coming close to the end of all things and you promised that you would pour out your spirit, beginning on the day of Pentecost, right through to the time of your return, you would pour out your spirit and you would have a victorious church all over the world.and so tonight I pray for those that are third in their homes and in their cars and even on park benches listing on their cell phones God that you would help everyone of us to recognize that we are the called.

We are part of this in time, victorious church that you're calling to big bring glory to your name on the earth and you've not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. So God I'm asking you for the anointing of your Holy Spirit. I stand here to obey you, Lord, but it's up to you to bring the word into every heart.

It's up to you Lord to release people from prisons and give them sight to see a way forward, and strength. Oh God, to be raised up out of whatever condition people find themselves in and into that purpose that you have for every life.I think you and I praise you tonight.

In Jesus name. Second Timothy chapter 1 beginning at verse six Paul the apostle was speaking to this young man called Timothy who the testimony of Scripture tells us that he was of a ferry for a fearful young man. Paul took him under his wing and followers walked a lot longer with God and he understands the faithfulness of God is trying to convey this now to this young man called Timothy and in chapter 1 verse six uses. Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. It just for a moment when when the Lord touched you when the Lord touched your heart. There was a gifting of the spirit that came into your lights up a divine purpose. May I call it that something in your life through which God is going to be glorified I find from my own experiences, generally taking you and I and the places that we can't go giving us things to accomplish what were called to do, which in our natural strength. We don't possess or can't possess in making us into something much bigger than we could ever hope to be in our own strength. There is a gift of God in your life. Everyone was here in the sanctuary, young or old, everyone is listening online who is open your heart in to receive Christ as your Savior this when the Holy Spirit when Christ cleanse you in the spirit of God came into your life. There was a gifting of God that came into through the laying on of the hands of God that put it that way. In this case was palling his hands on the young man called Timothy, but let's take it to a kind of a larger plan talk about when the hand of God comes on you. There is a divine purpose for your life which only he can fulfill now, Timothy was probably afraid because he is recognizing this, this calling of God that Paul says is on is likely hasn't fully embraced it yet. Maybe at this point himself and perhaps he's afraid because the Scripture seems to bear witness that he was. He was actually afraid to move into the calling because quite often we we look at the calling of God are what we think the calling of God is and then we look in the mirror and look at Mark with owner briefcase and check out our resume and we fall so short of the ability to fulfill this calling that we draw back in fear and said God how is this possible. You see it all through Scripture when when when the Lord or it would send a messenger and appear to somebody the immediate response. In most cases would be how is this possible because I have not and it's always comes back to the human person I five. I'm too old to have a child and I'm too young to fight a battle and too old to go into battle or whatever the situation is read. We tend to draw back. Paul then says to Timothy, for God is not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind God has given us the ability to go beyond our own resources as it is through the, the strength that he is put into each one of our lives. Therefore, he says do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. In other words, Timothy don't be afraid of what these before you as it is her brother debenture tonight.

Don't be afraid of what is going to cost you in a sense to follow Christ. God will always be faithful God will always give you the power to do what you're called to do.

He will he will be faithful to you and and you need to get that thinking in your mind that that you're not going to fail you not can be overcome.

You not going to be trounced down and be ashamed in a sense, being elected be triumphed over by your enemies was saved this with and called us with a holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Is that amazing before time began God who for knows all things new.

You knew the purpose for your life as as we heard this evening.

Again, you're not just a happenstance coming into this world, no matter how you arrived in the world. You are not an accident were foreordained and allowed by God to be born with a holy calling it a divine purpose through which he will be glorified and he was given with the purpose came a grace that was given to you in Christ Jesus before the work will be kept God saw you annuity called you to do and this is I've given you not only purpose but the ability to accomplish it in Christ Jesus through the victory. The cross through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. I've given you the ability to achieve what I've called you to do and I gave it to you before time even begin in Christ Jesus. I was 15 years old when fear became a very real part of my life. I think going to all the reasons are probably too many of them but one of them was that the pressure was put on me to achieve my grandfather was a judge and my father was denied and in education because of World War II. And so when he came back from the war. He had to take a job in a mind that's all that was available college he left. Actually his first year of college to volunteer to fight in in Europe and when he came back there was no longer any opportunity for a college education. It was it was so important to him. So being his firstborn son began to live his dreams in great measure through my life. I was going to be perhaps the next lawyer in the family. The only problem with all of this is I didn't want to go on the direction that others were telling us are going.

And secondly, I didn't feel like I have the skill set to accomplish the dreams and goals that others were placing upon my life.

And through that and through other circumstances in my life at the age of 15, I started to suffer panic attacks. If you've ever suffered one you know that it's the closest thing to hell on earth you'll ever experience a panic attack is the is like a computer that melts down.

It's just but it's not a computer it's you that melts down inside. Is this an explosion inside and the only way I can describe as if suddenly you feel like somebody's pouring a bucket of sand on your head everything around you goes dark and there's just this dark hole in front of you and it feels hopeless. Your your heart starts pounding outside of your chest and you literally feel like you're going to die. You know it's irrational but you have no control over, and I suffered these things for nine years, nine years of hell on earth.

The way I used to cope with it is that I would take volume like I saw doctors over they prescribed Valium which is a tranquilizer. I took so much volume that I want to college literally underwater no other way to describe it.

I would walk in the classroom and I'd be in this incredible bubbler like I was in the Diversey dual Diversey with the big dogs like him down 5000 feet under the water and I'm walking around in the suit is the only way I could attend the crowded classroom. If I was singled out as the professor looked at me, if he asked me a question I would panic I would die would either collapse or have to run out of the room twice. I was taken to the hospital after having collapsed and once I remember, and this was in college member Pastor Teresa was with me at the hospital when the nurse put the blood pressure machine on my arm and dropped it on the floor and ran out of the room. She was afraid I was going to have a stroke and I bet some much fear had gotten a hold of my life I worked out like a fanatic.

I worked out in the gym two hours three hours a day I would run at night.

I kept my body in a virtual state of exhaustion that was one of the ways and learn to cope with this inner struggle. It was in my life. Fast forward to the age of 24 I started hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ from another police officer and that I remember one when I came to Christ, you know, one of the things that really stirred my heart in hearing the message of the of the gospel was this one verse. If any man be in Christ is a new creation the old things in his life pass away and behold all things become new. And I remember thinking God is that possible that I can be a different man. Is it possible I can escape this cage that I feel like I'm in this the spirit of fear in a sense is gotten all of my life and because of the fear I was getting progressively more angry I was drinking more, I was I was getting out of control in many regards. I was making life rather miserable for everybody around me and I remember thinking God is it. Is it possible I can get out of this box.

Life is put me into May 12, 1978. I gave my life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and not long after that I was psyched. I love the word of God and I started devouring the word of God and the promises started this coming off the page and is washing the it's only way I can describe it is as Ezekiel, the prophet said to Israel in Ezekiel chapter 36 in verses 22 and onward he said I'm going to gather you and I'm gonna wash you with clean water, and that's what I felt happening to my life.

It was like it the word of God was was was washing away the old thoughts and old fears and I would was you I was working radar. Actually it when I first got saved in a member praying for rain because it when it rained the radar didn't work.

Thought I'd have to park in the building somewhere and I cope my Bible and I would just read and I would weep and I would read and then one night he went home and we were up in bed and I was about midnight and I I felt I felt one of these panic attacks coming on me again as a believer now in Christ. Now before Christ, when panic attack would come. I would take volume and usually a straight shot of whiskey. Maybe you even as much as four, five, 6 ounces of whiskey on top of Valium. It's it's not a good plan, but nevertheless it would it would so dull my senses that that I could I could but I did manage to get through these things.this night I was reading the word of God that we can remember. I didn't remember the whole verse, but it was something that Paul said if God be for us, who can be against us that I didn't know that's only half the verse but I didn't remember the whole verse only remember that part of the verse. You never noticed that David did not need a gravel truck to bring down Goliath. He just needed one pebble in his pocket. I didn't have a whole verse I had 1/2 of verse but II believed it, that's that that's the key believed the word of God. I believe that if God be for us, who can be against us and and I remember that night and went down into my living room and now there's no more pills.

I saw not taking pills anymore. I needed free in Christ or I'm not that I have always been a bit of an extremist that way is a God.

This is either true or it's not an either free or I'm not free truthfully to set me free revolt is no middle ground in the Seneca walk halfway in this thing this is real then I wanted and if it's not, I don't want any part of it. I went down in the my living room whiskey was gone out of my life is no more alcohol my life no more pills in my life so I'm not going are not reserved it resorting to those old things anymore. I went into my living room and all I knew to do was pray and I had 1/2 above half of verse is a promise of God before us, who can be against us. Someone in my living room and I felt like this is panic attack was good be a bad one and I stood in my living room round little after midnight all by myself and I said it out loud us and Satan. You can only kill me if God allows you to and if he dies tonight I'm going home to heaven. So either way, I went a little when either way is it so you throw everything you've got it made, but I know through. I know throwback to do what I have in the name of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

I resist you. That was my prayer. I resist you, and I stood in that room and is God lives and as God is my witness, I felt the heat, not a fuzzy feeling an actual heat hit my feet go through my calves go through my legs go through my torso through my chest through my head and out the top of my head. I was completely set free that night from nine years of hell, by the power of God for God has not given us a spirit of fair power in the blob and of a sound mind. Praise be to God.

That was the beginning of the gift of God being stirred up in my life because I never could've fulfilled it until I got through the fear until I was able to get through that as of often spoken to that paper wall that you got go through before you get into the football.

Can you come down the tunnel you're already to fight but there's a paper wall you got a breakthrough in fear is that paper wall and the devil writes everything you can on the ball. He draws fake bricks because you're a loser tells you not going to make it tells you. God is not true. God is not faithful would you fight through that wall when you break through your now in the game. Praise be to God through that wall. I've been all over the world.I preach the crowds in the hundreds of thousands. I've seen people come to Christ in the most unusual of places been locked in maximum-security prison to understand with 60 lifers telling them I'm an ex-cop which is in fact a very dangerous thing to do, completely unafraid of being there sees not given us a spirit of fear but power and love and the Bible says that perfect love casts out fear if I love you I'm not afraid of you preach to Muslims and co-savant.

I preach that Hindu Muslims and present I've been all over in the most unusual places that I never could've gone in miles to find the power of God. By the spirit of God.

God cured gift which he had given me in my heart from the beginnings of life financially before the world was even found it. He called me with a holy calling, and according to his own purpose and grace which is given in Christ Jesus before the world began to think tonight of all the people who are all robbed of not have not of heaven is not about salvation. Heaven will still be there home but thought that what your life could be real because you you stand behind that paper wall and somehow can't browse the faith to believe in 1/2 a verse of Scripture. I wanted to challenge you tonight.

I chose you stand up, stand up in the grace of God stands out as the class is your victory. The blood of Jesus can make you into a different man a different woman can change your family could change your destiny and change the lives of people around the world down Goliath was one drop of blood was to give you a new life to make you a new creation.

We can we consider that we can lick our wounds.

All we want for the rest of our lives or we can stand up basically say devil use taught me everything you've got, but I thought back to July. Now Jesus Christ the son of God. I resist you by resistor live by resist all of the things you try to send against me to tell me that I will never amount to that which God has called me to be.

That's my message. That's what God told me to tell you. God is not given us a spirit of fear. You have no reason to be afraid of anyone or anything or anywhere is given us power through his Holy Spirit through his shed blood is given us a love for people that I've preached I've just seen God do amazing things. After the war and most of all, I was able to stand and preach the soldiers that fought in that war. Muslim soldiers would fight in the war and I saw the eyes of the presence of God's Holy Spirit melt the hearts of soldiers. I saw them beginning to weep in the field and that night the in the in the most impossible thing happen a member.

That evening when about 26 people stepped out in a Muslim community publicly gave their lives to Jesus Christ.

Only God can do these things, God is given us a spirit of fear, so you don't have to accept it. Your colleague is nothing to do with your resume. I've never been qualified to do anything I do in the kingdom of God is not wonderful. I will have a certificate of the backs of anything I do, which I think is this awesome so that means is I don't is that if you get to go anywhere I go, so without no doors barred me because I never qualified to go there in the first place. Matter fact none of the disciples were qualified not affect the hundred and 20.

The upper room were qualified as ordinary people. A lot of them didn't go to school. In those days they had Holy Spirit they have the mind of Christ.

They have the calling of God. They had the power of God, and they astounded the people of their generation. So father tonight.I just feel like dancing all over the sanctuary and to say thank you all over again. My life was hell would you change the font you changed it and you help me to not only be changed with the lead other people. Heaven, oh Jesus Christ, I just love you with all my heart and I just want to say thank you tonight if it's just you and me in the sanctuary.

Just thank you, even encouraged us to step out and and preach without them without a text that doesn't even matter anymore.

It all just has to be you got tonight I'm asking the Lord for every Tennessean, every Timothy a this listing tonight and those in the center that the need to be free from fear is free. Fear of tomorrow. Fear of the past fear failure fear that will not mount amount to the dimensionless life or further will even fail God can we just lay it down tonight. We just all lay it down and trust you Lord that we will be this end time victorious army through which your name and the earth will be again glorified the Lord Jesus Christ, we come to you. We come to get our our pebble we come tonight to as David went down to the brook. He picked up five smooth stones. We come to get our stones tonight are arts are smooth pebbles, Lord, by which we will take down these fears. These voices everything that is risen again start the calling you placed in each of our lives, how to do all the due how the it's because of the cross of Christ that we have the victory is because his blood was shed for us is because he died on the cross in our place that we can be free and innocent man took our place and took our guilt upon himself and all that he requires of us is that we open our hearts to him as Lord and Savior and confess him as our Lord, which means not just it's wonderful to see Jesus as our Lord, but a whole life confesses him we get up and we start walking towards the calling of God that he has for each of our lives we we confess them every day.

As we read the word of God. We we confesses truth is absolute truth which we just start walking with them. That's our confession. God has done this in my life and her testimony becomes look at what God will do for you if you two will trust in so father tonight. I do pray for those online who need to open their hearts and and receive Christ as their Savior. May they do that right now. Pray the simple prayer with me. If you listing online Jesus I give you my life I give you my struggles give you my failures.

I give it all to you from this day forward I receive you as my God, my Lord and my Savior help me now to falling give me the grace not to turn the thank you for receiving. In Jesus name Amen. Thank you for joining us today. You've been listening to the national Day of prayer message from Pastor Hardin, titled God has not given us a spirit.

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