Dear LGC Family,

We know that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become a worldwide concern and is on everyone’s minds. So, we wanted to take a few moments to send you this special note to encourage you in your faith and in some practical steps you can take.

While it’s good to be informed, don’t allow the plethora of media reports (sometimes confusing or contradictory) to create fear in your heart — rather, this is a good time for us as believers to stay anchored in the truth of God’s Word. Let your fearless faith shine as you trust in Jesus.
Let’s remember…

2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Psalm 91:5-7, 10-11
“Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you. …
9 If you make the LORD your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter 
10 no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.”

Thankfully, as of 10 AM on March 12, there are only a few  known cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Louisiana. Our state leaders are doing their best to prepare Louisiana for any more potential cases.

We wanted you to know, we are planning to hold our regularly scheduled services at Living Glory Church and we want to assure you that we are dedicated to offering a clean and safe environment. Our janitorial team regularly and thoroughly cleans our buildings — giving special attention to surfaces that are commonly used and touched. In addition, hand soap is available in the bathrooms and we now have a supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizers available for use at every service.  The sanitizer pumps are located at the entrance of the Sanctuary and Administration building from the foyer. Please use them as you enter either of the buildings. We will continue to monitor the situation and we will follow recommendations from federal, state and local government agencies should they be given.

As a general rule, if you are feeling unwell online viewing is the perfect way to be part of the church. You can watch our Sunday morning live services online on the Living Glory Church Facebook page .           

            The CDC has issued practical ways that you can lessen the spread of the Coronavirus — should there be any future cases in Louisiana or if you travel to places where there are cases of the virus:

•    Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
•    Stay home if you are not feeling well.
•    Cover your mouth and nose with your forearm when coughing and sneezing.
•    Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds at a time. Use soap and water when possible.
•    If no soap and water are available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60%-95% alcohol.
•    For the next several months, use your faith and wisdom, but consider giving your friends a wave or elbow bump rather than shaking hands or hugging one another.
•    For more: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

On the practical side — we encourage you to prepare now (while there are only a few cases of Coronavirus in Louisiana) for any potential issues with supply chains or in the event of any spread or unexpected quarantines. We recommend all LGC members prepare by doing the following:

•    Be sure to refill your important prescription medicines and keep extra Tylenol or Motrin on hand.
•    Keep 14-21 days of essentials on hand — things like disinfectants, water, paper products and non-perishable food.

Finally, keep your own heart encouraged by spending time with the Lord in prayer, praise and reading His Word . We love you and we are praying for you,

Pastors Carl and Belinda

Very often there is correlation between the natural and the spiritual. When is comes to sight or vision we know that there are reasons why people may have impaired vision. Likewise people may also may have spiritually impaired vision. In the gospel of John Jesus says that unless one is born again they can’t see or enter the kingdom of heaven.

Another reason a person may be spiritually blind even when they are born again is that they choose to walk in darkness or sin rather then confess the sin and walk in the light of God’s word. The remedy for spiritual blindness is to either receive what Jesus did for us on Calvary and be born again or confess our sin, repent and walk in the light.

There are a couple of other issues that can affect a person’s sight. A person may be near sighted so that the distance vision is out of focus. In the Spirit aspect, a person is near sighted when all they see the problems, challenges, offenses, fear and worried around them and can’t focus on the Good things wants to do in their life. They dwell on the immediate and allow fear to steal their future. Other people have far-sighted vision where the things near are out of focus. Individuals with this problem are always looking for the future success, the windfall prosperity, and fail to deal with the present very well. They are the dreamers, visionaries who don’t confront the present day issues or prepare for the future.

Just as there are natural means to correct impaired vision there are means to correct Spiritual vision. Next session we’ll discuss three way to begin the process of correcting spiritual vision.

Until then, Remember it is the truth you know and walk in that sets you free.

Pastor Carl Benton

The story of the shepherds  watching over their sheep is found in Luke 2:8-20.  During the night watch an angel appears to them with great news. He announces the birth of “the Savior, Christ the Lord”.  In that one single statement he gives the entirety of the mission of Jesus.

First as Savior, He is the deliverer, preserver, protector, healer and the one who makes whole. He will save people from their sins. As the Christ, He is the anointed one of God, the Messiah. Everything He did was as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit. Being our example as to how we can overcome the challenges we face with the same anointing from God. As Lord, He is supreme authority in Life. Too often we want the benefits of salvation and the anointing without submitting to His Lordship. The full benefits here on earth of salvation and the anointing only come when we choose to make necessary adjustments in our life and allow Jesus to be Lord as well.

The shepherds heard the announcement, but that was not all they did. They immediately set out to find “this babe in a manger.” Something happened to them when they were face to face with Jesus. When they left to return to their sheep, they told everyone they ran into what they heard and saw and the people were marveling. Sure, they went back to work. But they were different, they were praising and worshiping God.

Certainly faith comes by hearing the Word and it can change your life, however an encounter with the author of the Word will overhaul your life and make you a different person.

Remember it’s the truth you know and walk in that sets you free.

Pastor Carl Benton

We are right in the middle of the Christmas season and for many, preparations are well underway are already completed. We do a great deal to prepare for this season and to celebrate the birth of the savior Jesus Christ. Preparation is a good thing, however if we only prepare the external we are missing the entire point of this season. The length and intensity of the preparation is in direct relation to the importance of the celebration or visitation. When we are expecting a very important guest or a very important event much time and effort is exerted in the preparation.

The first thing we do is remove the unnecessary clutter from our clutter corners in our homes. We all have them! That is the accumulation of stuff that we have not made a decision of what to do with the stuff. It is important we remove the clutter from our hearts. Too many live life with a heart so clutter with guilt, shame, condemnation, bitterness, unforgiveness and sin that there is no room for a relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes we need to rearrange our furniture for some of the decorations we put in our homes. I believe a reprioritization of our life is the next step in preparation. We prioritize our time and energies to make room for the savior in our lives.

This season is not complete without gifts to give and receive. We all want to give a useful gift. We go to great lengths to find out what we can give our families, friends and others so the gift will not be re-gifted or sit in a drawer unused. God has given us the greatest gift of All. The gift of eternal life in the package of an infant in a manger. Eternal life is not just going to heaven but having some of heaven here on earth. But what do we give God? The wise men from the scripture brought Jesus, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. As we study what these are they have a direct correlation to our worship today. Gold represents our treasures and finances. When we make our possessions available for God’s use in His Kingdom we are worshiping Him. Frankincense, gives off a distinct odor when it is put on hot coals, and was used by the priest in the temple. This represents our prayers lifted up to God. Myrrh is a resin used in the Holy Anointing Oil in Exodus. For us this represents the anointing of God’s grace upon our lives and the talents and abilities we use everyday. When we acknowledge God’s grace is the source of our talents we are worshiping Him with the.

So in all your preparation don’t forget to do some, clutter removal, prioritization, and planning to use your life in worship to God for His gift of Jesus.

Pastor Carl Benton:

Remember it is the truth you walk in that sets you free!

God intends for us to walk in victory in this life. Yes, there will be challenges, however those challenges should not keep up from fulfilling our divine purpose. In Rom 5:17 we read that through the “abundance of Grace and the gift of righteousness” we have the potential to reign in life. Reigning in life is a potential and possibility for every believer, however it requires revelation of God’s Word and a determination to make the right choices. Today let’s look at five key points about righteousness: Righteousness is defined as “right standing with God”, “the character or quality of being right or just”. E.W. Kenyon’s definition of righteousness is, “the ability to stand before God without guilt, shame, condemnation or inferiority.”

1.     We are redeemed, ransomed or bought with the precious blood of Jesus.

2.     We are Delivered, conveyed or transferred out of Satan’s kingdom into the Kingdom of God.

3.     We are free from all our sins, guilt, shame and condemnation.

4.     Righteousness is a free gift. It can’t be earned or bought.

5.     All our successes, victories and triumphs are in and through Jesus.

Meditate on Rom 5:17 until it becomes real to you. Remember it’s the truth you know and walk in that sets you free.

Pastor Carl Benton

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving Day as way to show our gratitude for the blessings of this past year. We celebrate with family and friends, often we eat too much, watch too much football and sit around all day. Somehow most Americans miss the real meaning of being thankful. There seems to be way too much complaining, gripping, fusing all year long and then on one day we say thanks. I believe the Bible is clear when it says in   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) ¹⁶ “Rejoice always,
¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Rejoicing, praying and giving of thanks should be not only a daily activity but a lifestyle. Sometimes it is a sacrifice to express thankfulness when things are not going as we hope for.  As a practice, find something to express your gratitude for today and everyday, rather then finding something to complain about. I promise it will make you life much more pleasant. Also remember that being thankful is a component to answered prayer.

It’s the truth you know and walk in that sets you free.

Pastor Carl Benton

Romans 5:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷ For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

I love the above scripture because it gives me a promise that no matter the battles I may face, or the struggles I may have in life, God will always help me to overcome. I want you to notice that because of Adam’s failure, death reigned. The death cycle was released on planet earth by Adam’s treason. All men are born under that cycle of death. In Scripture there are three types of death. First is natural death. That is when our bodies are no longer alive due to age, sickness or accident. The Second in spiritual death. That is being separated from God. When Adam sinned, he died spiritually but not physically at least not immediately. The Third is called the Second Death. That happens when a person who is “spiritually dead dies naturally”, they will forever be separated from God and heaven. They are relegated to be eternally without God.

Praise God, He made a way to move from the death cycle into a LIFE cycle. This move is not automatic, even though the avenue is available for every person born into planet earth.

Stay tuned as we will delve deeper into this scripture in future post.

Remember it is the truth you know and walk in that sets you free.

Pastor Carl Benton