Living Word Worship Center

Depression is a spirit that has hung around the church all too long. The body of Yeshua in their state of salvation can get stuck into the thoughts of being down and out, in lack, things just not going their way and deceptively fall into the trap of depression. God doesn’t want any of His people to live in a depressed state. His word says that mourning may endure for the evening but joy comes in the morning! That means you may have some hard times but they won’t last long.

About 2 and 1/2 years ago I fell into this trap. My wife and I had planted this church in a rental facility that didn’t allow advertising, restricted use, etc. We had about 25 people at one time but religion held us bound. We were wavering by the fear of loosing people, we made decisions based off of what it looked like financially and it didn’t look good. We could see no light. We started loosing people through different mistakes we made of not walking in wisdom and we were learning through experience that brought even more failure. I went into a fight with depression. I didn’t want to be around people, didn’t want them coming over, wasn’t sure if I was to even be called or chosen anymore, I just wanted to get off the ride of life and go back to where I came from. A downward spiral was lurking around the corner and I was turning towards it.

Read the whole chapter of Psalm 119.

Psa 119:28 My soul weeps for grief; strengthen me according to Your Word.

Psa 119:170 Let my prayer come before You; deliver me according to Your Word.

For months I cried out to God to revive me according to His word and I read those scriptures over and over and over. Things just never seem to change. One day I received a glimmer of hope as the Lord began telling me there was going to be a Angelic visitation in my life. I wasn’t sure why, when or how, but I just felt like this was my answer this was my deliverance, I was finally going to be free from this darkness in my life. But again a couple months went by and nothing, still darkenss thoughts of giving up and despair and all hope was diminishing.

In June of 2005 we needed to drive to Kentucky to pick up my son who lives in South Carolina with his mom and we felt the relief of just being able to get away from the house and be alone for a couple days. On the way down we decided to stop at a flee market to take a break from driving for a while. When we entered there was a jewelry shop that we walked into and I was dreaming about buying Lanita a wedding ring, as hers was lost. We began speaking small talk to the owner of the shop then after about an hour of hanging out he asked us “So, what do you do for a living?” I would of normally answered with “I am a owner of commercial cleaning business” BUT, something just pushed it out of me to say “I am a Pastor of a small church in Ohio”. It then began a discussion about if we thought gambling could keep a man out of heaven, and if we would receive gambling money as an offering, and he went on to tell us that he goes to gamble every now and tehn just for som entertainment and he would take $1000 and go there to just spend it. But each time he would win money as he was sitting around the table talking about Jesus and how He came to bring life. He told us how one time another Pastor was in the casino and was watching him witness to people and the Pastor walked up to him and began to cry. The Pastor walked up to him and began to cry and told him “I came here to give it all up, to leave the ministry to stop the ride downward but after seeing you being free to witness in a place forbidden by most religious it has set me free to do the true work of the Lord.” To make it short, he gave us so many words of encouragement that we had to walk away and shop for a while because the glory was so strong! We couldn’t look at anything, we were just in awe! After about 15 minutes of walking through the market we went back to talk some more with him. As we walked up to him he said “I want to do something for you, I want you to be able to buy your wife a ring so you pick between these rings and I will sell you one for $1.” We immediately began to cry as we picked through the rings. We picked one and we went through some vows right there as we all three weeped before the Lord.

God had made a covenant with us that day. He married us, He surrounded us with His love and He showed us that depression was a fear of man’s rejection, fear of failure, and pile of judgments toward other people. This man we were talking too was none other then the Angel of the Lord. How did we know? We went back there after our trip and there was no jewelry store. It was there for a time such as this.

God wasn’t done yet though. We drove on down to Corbin, KY where we were to spend the night and we had drove by a storefront church, (this was our vision for our church and we had never been in one so it intrigued us) we stopped and went in. We were just in time as they were still singing worship and the people were just starting to enter into His presence. We began to worship and realize the freedom in the place was the Spirit of the Lord moving on everyone. After the service, 90% of the church ran outside to smoke a cigarette and it totally shocked me. Now mind you, I was religious, I thought how in the world could this happen? We left confused but yet seeing something that we knew was freeing.

God then spoke to us that night.

“The heart of the people that seek after him are the ones who overcome.”

Religion that choked my life into depression was now be broken. I found I spent my life trying to make the congregation happy, I feared rejection but what I did was make a fake life of expectations of my self instead of being me. Even though I loved God, I didn’t love Him more then the people around me. Judgments then made me judged and the deeper I went the farther I fell.

God then released a presence upon my life that refreshed me. I was able to love the ones that really needed the love. The drunkard, the drug attic, the down and out, the homeless were now all my friends. I realized God loved them just as much as me.

If you believe you are any better then someone else, you are deceived, you are only in a better situation in life then someone else.

Today God is releasing a anointing to break the bonds of religion, to crushed the head the one who holds those in depression through the testimony of His word. Today let loose of all the things of this world and allow God to redeem the time to bring you into His timing and His life. Don’t fear what man may think of you, just walk in Him.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

If you love the Lord God with all your heart and love others as yourself, you will fulfill the works of the Lord.

Right now, I rebuke the spirit of depression and cancel it’s every work and call upon the name above all names to restore into lives of those who are reading this LIFE, live says the Lord, LIVE! Arise and shine for the light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen up you! Arise, Arise, Arise! The breath of life into you right now.

THe power of the Lord is performing The Releasing out of bondage into life more abundantly! Finances birthed, relationships mended, fear removed as their is a releasing of His favor upon you, a releasing of His power into your life to create in you a conquerer, a releasing of love to melt the hardness. A releasing of His glory to change your house from darkness to light RIGHT NOW! Right now, right now! With a releasing the fight is over, the war is complete and new life is born by the river of life. No more to return to the darkness but life, life life! There is sunshine in your eyes, a purpose upon your heart, it’s time to rise up out of the cave and conquer what has tried to defeat you. But the Lord says, I am with you, I will never leave you nor forsake you as I am the One who now fights for you. Fear not and be strong as I fight this battle, as I conquer the enemies in your life. Fear not as you see my right hand move on your behalf. I am the Lord , I am the beginning and the end, I am the Alpha, then Omega, I am the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I have done it before, shall I not do it again? Says the Lord. Freedom in me, BE!