Dear Friends: (A letter to you)
Something extraordinary is happening and I hope you choose to be a part of it. Several years ago the vacant lot next to us was sold. The new owners decided to build a house, unfortunately the house was built very close to ours. For the past 13 years we had lived in a secluded area where we held retreats and seminars in our home. It was the perfect setting for a great get-away for families and those needing ministry. Some of you have even attended them from time to time. So when this house was built right next to us, I got a bit confused. I wasn’t sure what was happening. I knew God was in control and that He knew this was going to happen even before we bought our home. So I was wondering what He was doing. Perhaps He wanted Tom and I to move. So I began surfing the web looking for a place to move. (You can read about my "adventures" with the neighbor in previous newsletters). Then one day while I was searching the web, I heard the Lord speak to my heart, “Hold on, be patient, because he built the house for the ministry.” At the time I wasn’t sure if it was me speaking or if it was God, but decided to wait. And that waiting paid off because the house is up for sale! I never thought it would happen, I thought that family was there for good, but there it was!! Now the first miracle has happened and now for the second miracle to take place, a way to purchase the property.
So what is my request to you? To consider giving a donation in any amount to this ministry. I know we are in hard financial times right now, but there is no financial crisis in heaven. I believe God has all we need to purchase this property, but I also know that it takes people to make this happen. We are His hands, His feet and His mouth. And we believe He wants to use faithful men and women to complete His work on this planet. He had to send Jesus to do His work, just as He sends us to do His work. We can believe God to plop the money on our doorstep, but I think He wants to use people who are willing to sacrificially give to the cause. Our plans to use this home is to conduct seminars and retreats, hold church services, and even provide a safe-house for those in need of temporary housing, or whatever the Lord leads us to do. This would expand the ministry and allow us to help more people.
Again, I know many are in hard times, so we understand if this is impossible for you right now, but if you can find it in your heart to give any amount, even $1.00… your giving will be put to good use and will help tremendously. Don’t think your small amount won’t help, because if everyone just gives a little, we can accomplish a lot!
If you plan to give, please email your pledge and then send your check or money order to LAM, P.O. Box 165, Mt. Aukum, CA 95656. You will receive a receipt for your tax purposes, and for those giving $100 or more, you will also receive the newly published book “Tom’s Tidbits” which are quotes that Tom has said over the years that are insightful and life giving.And as always, your prayers are GREATLY appreciated!
Sincerely,
Tom and Linda Lange
Life Application Ministries
P.O. Box 165
Mt. Aukum, CA 95656
www.lifeapplicationministries.org
(530) 620-2712
truthfrees@lifeapplicationministries.orgMore Fearless Living by Linda
I want to share some more insights in the area of fear that I just discovered the past week! This is hot-off-the press information that I believe will help you just as much as it did me. Because of this new revelation, I have found even MORE freedom in the area of fear. During the past 13 years, I have experienced so much freedom and healing, as a result from being set free from fear. But I would still battle the attacks and wonder where the "door" was that allowed the fear to drop into my spirit. I would catch it there, and tell it to go, again. And be at peace. But then it would come back. So I had asked God many times why I have a revolving door? What is in me that is allowing fear free access back? Well, I believe after 13 years the answer came!!! And none too soon. My husband Tom was instrumental in showing this to me and I was amazed at the clarity and sudden understanding and more freedom that came from learning this. I believe the same will happen for you. Let me share the story.
Tom and I were driving to a friends house for a Christmas party. We have two vehicles, a car and a front-wheel drive SUV. But I wanted to take the car, so we did. When we got close to where we were going there was snow. The higher we drove the more snow. And then we had to make a turn down a 2 1/2 mile windy private road which had only enough room for 1 car, cliff on the right side and snow and ice all over it. Oh my, I thought, we should have brought the other car. So I began telling Tom, "Tom I'm so sorry, we should have brought the other car." Then as I kept apologizing, I found myself becoming fearful of the situation. There were snow banks on the side of the road but beyond that a cliff. So not sure if the snow was road or cliff. I was getting a bit jumpy too.
Well, as we were driving Tom said, "Linda, get rid of that fear that jumped on you." I said, yeah, it did didn't it? Then he was quiet for awhile and said, "I know where the fear came from." I thought, "yeah, from the icy road" but didn't say it out loud. He then said, "It's when you felt you did something wrong by not taking the right car." I stopped and thought for a minute. Then he said, "I saw the fear jump on you at that point, when you felt you did something wrong." BINGO! That was it!!! The door opens for fear to come when we "think we have done something wrong." And it comes through "self-accusations."
As I thought about this, clarity came and I saw very clearly how all my life I had done this. For example. I would say something to someone at church, and then later feel guilty or bad that I may have said something wrong. I would beat myself up about it for a long time, which kept the door open for fear to come. As I look back over the years, I see several instances where I would allow my own accusing thoughts toward myself hammer me, and that it did lead to fear coming in!!! What a revelation.
The next morning I woke up and couldn't believe what I was feeling. My head wasn't swimming, and I was lighter and felt even more peace. I couldn't wait to tell my husband! So I shared that with him, how I was FREE! He was so excited for me. And as the day went on I got a thought. It said, "You didn't do enough Christmas presents for your family." And within seconds I realized this was the "accusing" spirit coming back to get me to agree with it so that fear could return. And now that I know this, I said, "I did do enough for Christmas, so shut up." And within seconds, that thought was gone, and fear didn't enter!!!! I believe this is what it means to take "every thought captive unto the obedience of Christ." And so I now recognize the thought of accusation and will NOT submit to it any longer. Say that what I said was wrong, I am still not to accuse myself. I simply go to God and ask for forgiveness and receive forgiveness and reconciliation. To keep that door closed for fear to come is what I am to do, and what you are to do. I can't tell you how much peace I have right now... Even my health has actually improved as I was having a few issues there at the same time!
Many of you have kept up with my website, my story, etc., and find that I am like anyone else. I have things I have to go through still, I'm still growing and learning, and still changing. This is just another area of my life that changed and I am already seeing many wonderful things come because of it.
Praising God by Linda
Along with the revelation about fear above, I was also reading Psalm 107 and Psalm 91. I saw the Lord showing me how much praising Him is the answer to whatever ails me. I have always been thankful, well, after I learned to be thankful some years ago. But now he's really teaching me how to praise Him. Let me tell a story.
About a week ago I was "feeling" a bit low. No reason for it. Things are actually quite good for my husband and I. God has given us a home, food, clothing, and the necessities of life, and a few pleasures as well like seeing my kids who live in Alaska, etc. All in all tings are good, so I wasn't sure what my problem was. But I was sinking down more and more. I was list-less.. I had no energy. I kept it to myself. (Oh... and by the way, this was also before the revelation above, it was a few days before I was set free from more fear.) So here I was, just sitting on the couch. I did make myself make cookies, clean, etc., but something was wrong, something was missing. I then confided in a friend who asked me what I had been rolling around in my head. In other words, what had I been dwelling on in my thinking. Then I stopped to take inventory and immediately knew what it was. I was in fear about a hereditary disease and I felt I was showing signs of it. Now, let me stop here and tell you that this was very hard for me to say out loud, I had kept this to myself for several months, but it was really coming to a head because of the symptoms. I began to cry too because I believed I was free from that, I had prayed the prayer of confession, broke curses off my life, believed that I wouldn't get it, but there I was fearing it!! And of course, I didn't want to say it out loud, I didn't want to because I feared it would then come. But the truth was, when we expose what turmoils our mind by speaking it out, it loses its power. So after I confessed this to her, she told me to take that disease and go read Psalm 107 and Psalm 91. Well, I took her advise and sat down and read the Psalms. Much to my surprise I found the answer!
In Psalm 91 it talks of us being protected by God. That we can trust in Him and He will deliver us from the snare of the fowler and any pestilence. He shall cover us with his feather and truth shall be our shield. It says we won't be afraid of any terror that could come nor of any attack. No diseases, no hurt shall come upon us. We will be saved and spared even though many are falling all around us from these very things. When we call on Him he will answer. His angels will protect us from ALL harm. We will have long life and be satisfied!! He will deliver us from trouble and honor us. These are promises of God to us. But there is a condition to receiving all these things. Verse 9- 1) Because you have made the Lord your habitation. In other words you are consumed with Him day in and day out. Verse 14 - 2) Because we know His name. In other words, we know him intimately and personally for ourselves. We know the power in His name and what it means. Praise the name of Jesus and we will have the victory!
As I kept that in mind, I read Psalm 107, which made it more clear to me what my problem was. Because I have been making God my habitation, I have been talking to Him more than I ever had in my life. I was thanking Him continually, and loving Him as much as I could. I was consumed by Him, so why was I still in a stoop! Well, it came in Psalm 107. Verse 20 - "He sent His Word and healed them." What is His Word? Jesus. Jesus is the Word made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) Vs 12 said, "To them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." So there we have the Word and His Name. And as I continued reading I got the revelation I needed. Several times in this passage it said, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men." It repeats this over and over. At first I just glossed over that and kept reading, and then it kept coming up so I stopped to take a closer look. I realized that I wasn't praising God! I was being thankful, I was dwelling with Him, etc., but I "forgot" to praise Him. Praise and thanksgiving go together. Just like "believing and receiving" go together. "Wisdom and understanding" go together. They cannot work fully alone, but work well when worked together. So I had to stop and confess to God that I hadn't been praising Him. Praising His NAME! Praising His WORD. Praising JESUS. Praising GOD. Not just when good things happened, but all the time! Not just with my mouth, but with my whole heart, mind, and strength. Then as I read the promises when we Praise Him, one of those promises is that He will send His word to Heal. And I needed healing. So right then and there I stopped reading and lifted my hands to heaven and began praising God. I praised Him for the wonderful things He has done. What He did for the Israelites, and what He has done for those around me, for what He has done for me too. I praised Him. I met the conditions for the promises. Because both Psalms, and many other scriptures, display the blessings and promises that come when the conditions are met... praising Him.
This happened to be a Sunday morning before church and so when I got to church, the worship that morning was all about praising God. It was tremendous because I praised God like never before during worship as I truly understood how to praise Him! When I'm consumed with Him, His love, and His provision alone, trusting only on Him, that true praise came forth. And with that praise, my "sickly feelings" left! I was set free, I was feeling awesome! My energy was restored and I was feeling vibrant and alive. I realized that "praising" is listed hundreds of times in the Bible for a reason. And now I understand. Praise AND thanksgiving go hand in hand. I've "known" this for years of course, but it wasn't until this week that I got a revelation on Praising God.
Of course, all this worked together as I was going through my revelation on fear - as I shared in the previous article. Which now leads me to Tom's Tidbits!
Tom's Tidbits
I shared all these things with Tom, as I just shared with you. And so it's been a awesome week of discovery. So a couple days later Tom was starting a fire in the wood stove. I was in one of the back rooms and began calling out to him. "Tom... and I just began talking loudly with an elevated voice so he could hear me. But I didn't get an answer. I began speaking even louder, again no answer. So I left the room and noticed he was outside getting more wood. As he was returning I said, "Here I was yelling at myself... I thought you were in the house." Tom responded, "You are always yelling at yourself." And then we both burst out laughing. We had just gone through the things I shared with you above about fear, how I was "listening" to accusations about myself. And Tom said it all here, "You had been yelling at yourself." We both could laugh about it now because that is no longer the case. I will take those thoughts captive and stop entertaining them or believing them from this week on! What freedom and peace has come... and to both Tom and I.
All the things that happened above, happened in a few days time. But to last a life-time! I pray that you find your peace from fear, and begin to praise God in every area of your life, without ceasing. For me, I had to be reminded, because I forgot!
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)
By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. (Psalm 71:6)
But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. (Psalm 71:14)
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)