Dear Church Family, There are plenty of conspiracy theories out there. There are plenty of people living in fear and dread. It was the same way in Isaiah’s time. In the eighth chapter of Isaiah God warns about the incoming Assyrian invasion due to the continued sin of the people. The invasion would take with it the Northern Kingdom of Israel and flow into Judah, but God would protect Judah from being overtaken. Apparently, there was conspiracy, fear, and dread flowing through the land. Israel had aligned itself with Aram, Assyria was threatening, and Judah was left alone with several other nations seeking this opportunity to conquer it. In the midst of this, God encourages Isaiah: Isaiah 8:11-13 (ESV)
For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
With so much uncertainty around and many wrong voices speaking lies, it would be easy to become fearful. I love that God doesn’t ask Isaiah to eliminate fear altogether, but to choose the correct object of his fear. God alone deserves to be feared and dreaded. In the entire Bible, God is the only one we are ever instructed to fear. In all other cases the consistent command is not to fear. In essence, God was asking Isaiah to keep his fear and his focus in the right place. With all that is going on around you, where has your focus been? Have you been fearing those things or the Lord? Have you been focusing on the conspiracies around you or have you been spending time with Him? Have you been honoring the Lord of hosts as holy? What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Communion:We will next be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together as part of our Sunday morning service on Sunday, February 26th. Through the ordinance of communion, we remember Jesus’ body that was broken and His blood that was shed for us. Church Potluck: Join us for a potluck lunch after the morning worship service on March 5th. Please bring one of your favorite dishes to share with the group. Life Groups: Life Groups are an important way to connect and grow at Gospel Life. We have several exciting groups for men, women, or both. You can hear about some of these groups here:
https://youtu.be/4GEoz7aeYTE?t=873
If you’re looking for a group to join, you can sign up below or stop by the Welcome Table on Sunday.
https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/groups/small-groups Watch Previous Worship Services
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c | 
