Enduring Love

29 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth

Tags

bullying, division, ethical, hate, love, political stance

As we approach the month of February, a month known for being a time for expressions of love, ask yourself what you are personally conveying to those around you. True love “Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

My heart hurts from the lack of enduring love that I am witnessing all around me. Never in my adult life have I observed the level of division and hate that I see before me in so many forms. As Christ followers, I believe we are to express something greater. I am not talking about a compromising faith, but I am referencing a love that can endure differences of opinions. I believe we can stand firmly on the promises and instructions provided for us in the Word of God and continue to express love to those who disagree with our stance.

I believe this starts within ourselves, for what is in us will eventually come out. I always like to pose this question, if you are in imminent danger, with only a few seconds to respond, what is the first thing that comes out of your mouth? I would argue that your response is an indicator of what is inside of you. When impurities are heated up, they tend to rise to the surface. I learned this watching my husband make fishing lures. He melts lead to pour into molds during this process. As the metal gets hotter, the impurities rise to the top for him to scoop off.

There are moments in our lives where things are heated up. Perhaps it is a difficult situation that you are walking through, a challenging relational issue, or even a political or ethical stance that is challenged. Regardless of the cause, what comes out when under pressure is an indicator of what is inside. If you take inventory and do not like what is coming out, there is a better way. The Bible tells us, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). He can help us to love in unlovable times and in the most challenging of situations. He teaches us unconditional love.

In the New Testament, Paul addressed the Corinthian church, which had become full of envy, strife, and divisions. He told them that these behaviors were evidence that they were living like mere unchanged individuals. They were not living the “Greater” life they could be demonstrating as Christ followers. In fact, he even tells them that he couldn’t share all that God had for them because of their childish state. He said he had to feed them milk instead of solid food! He challenged them to realize that each of them were co-workers, who should labor together with and for God. He told them that they were God’s field and God’s building! (See 1 Corinthians 3)

Paul’s instructions to the New Testament churches are applicable to the “Church of God” or all believers. We should be not only the field, which God cultivates, but also the house, which God builds; a house in which He intends to dwell! When we take inventory, if we find that we are full of strife and division, we can learn from these instructions that there is a better way.

Later in this same book of the Bible, Paul describes enduring love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Could we as believers strive to develop this kind of love for others? Could we instill and demonstrate this kind of love for our children, grandchildren, and all we touch? Could we imagine a world without bullying, without hate for those who look, believe, or act differently than we do? I am not suggesting that we should not have strong convictions about the clear instructions that are provided for us in the Word of God. However, we should equally have strong conviction to love those who believe differently, even while opposing what they believe in.

Jesus demonstrated the greatest love when He laid down His life for us. He did not come to bully and spew hate at those who didn’t believe as He did. He loved in such a selfless way that He endured unbelievable torment for ALL. My passionate plea is that if we call ourselves His follower, we could demonstrate His love during a time of great strife and division in our country. I am praying and asking God to invade our lives in such a way that His love is shown in and through us.

NO PRECEDENT!

11 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth, Prayer

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Tags

2019 Goals, fasting, prayer

I love a new year. It is a great time for change, a time for new priorities, a time for leaving the past behind and looking toward the future. For 2019, I have felt to pray and believe for things for which there is “NO PRECEDENT”.

Before I explain why these two words are my focus, I want to invite everyone reading this to join with my church, Grace Community Church, and me as we start our year strong with a week of prayer and fasting starting Sunday 1/13 through Saturday 1/19.

I will be posting a daily update starting Sunday morning with the daily prayer focus topic and pertinent Scriptures, which I encourage you to pray and declare over each topic.

Additionally, I want to encourage you to add some level of fasting to the week’s activities. There are many types of fasts and there are great benefits to pairing prayer and fasting together.

Now I want to describe my focus of “No Precedent”. When I think about the word precedent, the first thing that comes to my mind is the way it is used legally. Let me share that form of the definition.

Precedent

The noun precedent means an example from the past that provides evidence for an argument. It is most commonly used in legal circles and, more specifically, can be described as a previously decided case that guides the decision of a future case.

Examples:

Having discovered a similar case in the past, the prosecution team used this precedent to support their argument.
There is precedent with last year’s Smith versus Jones case. ¹

Two other ways precedent is defined in Merriam Webster Dictionary is:

“Something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind a verdict that had no precedent; a person or thing that serves as a model” ²

I want to share one last example I found which is…

Precedent and the Supreme Court

“A precedent is something that precedes, or comes before. The Supreme Court relies on precedents—that is, earlier laws or decisions that provide some example or rule to guide them in the case they’re actually deciding. (For example) When hostages are being held for ransom, a government may worry about setting a bad precedent if it gives in…” ³

Now that we have considered many definitions of the word precedent, I want to contemplate “NO PRECEDENT”. What happens when a case comes before the Supreme Court for which there is no precedent? In this situation, there is no previous example to guide the decision making process. The judges are forced to look outside of just what they have experienced or read from the past, and they must now move forward with the facts, knowledge, and wisdom they have been given. There is no history, tradition, or precedent to guide their thought process.

Another way to consider this thought is inventions. Before something is discovered or invented, there is no precedent to guide the thought process about the discovery. Think about electricity as an example. Since electricity is a natural force that exists in our world, it didn’t have to be invented. It did however, have to be discovered and understood.

Most people give credit to Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity, In 1752, Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment. In order to show that lightning was electricity, he flew a kite during a thunderstorm. He tied a metal key to the kite string to conduct the electricity. Building upon Franklin’s work, many other scientists studied electricity and began to understand more about how it works. For example, in 1879, Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb and our world has been brighter ever since! ⁴

We have all experienced times when due to a storm or technical issue we lost our electrical power. Most can’t imagine living life long term without electricity, yet before it was discovered, there was NO PRECEDENT for electricity and all the benefits it provides us. People didn’t sit around and say, “I sure wish someone would discover electricity, it sure would be great”. They didn’t know what they were missing because there was no precedent for it at that time.

Let’s consider an example that is near and dear to most of us, the mobile phone. At one time, we thought it was great to be able to sit attached to a cord and take turns using our phone with our neighbors for whom we shared our party line. At that time, there was NO PRECEDENT for this device called a mobile phone, which is now so much more than just a means of verbal communication. This gadget is our camera, GPS, computer, video gaming system, flashlight, calculator, dictionary, video camera, weatherman, photo album, mail, Bible, and so much more!

When the Lord began to challenge me with these two words, “NO PRECEDENT”, I was reminded of three specific images from my childhood church, where I started attending when I was only 4 years old.

The first image I was reminded of was an out-house! Unbelievably, I vividly remember having to go outside to a wooden building as a small child when I first started attending that small community church.

The second image I saw was the old church fan. That device made of cardboard and a wooden stick that we used to stay cool since there wasn’t any air conditioning! Thirdly, I remembered those hard wooden pews.

When indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and padded pews were available, the church embraced and welcomed these things. Why is it then that the church, is often less likely to accept the spiritual things for which there is no precedent?

There was no precedent for a women until God formed Eve from the rib of Adam
When Noah spent years and years building a boat on dry land, there was no precedent of rain
There was no precedent for a baby being born from a virgin until Mary delivered Jesus
There was no precedent for Moses’ burning bush or Saul’s bright light on the road to Damascus, but both of these men were never the same after these experiences.

Just because there was no precedent for any of these examples, does not make them any less real. Have you ever thought about what would have happened if Mary had said to the angel, “No thank you, I won’t carry the Son of God because there is no precedent for that!” Thankfully, she responded positively and said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). I don’t believe that meant that she totally understood everything, but she was willing to do something that had never been done to see God’s plan fulfilled!

Let’s consider the passage in Luke 5:36-39 from the New Living Translation.

Luke 5:36-39

36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Jesus’ comment in this passage concerns the Pharisees who rejected the “new wine” or the gospel and held that the “old wine” which was first century Judaism was better. Up to this time, there was no precedent for the gospel that is now being preached. Jesus was very controversial and not all believed or followed Him.

I could show you many examples, but this one has always stood out to me the most. Look with me at portions of John 6:53-67 NLT

53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.

60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.)

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

The disciples felt that what Jesus was saying was very hard to accept. He was teaching them spiritual truths that didn’t make sense to their natural thinking. There was NO PRECEDENT for this type of teaching or believing. In fact, we read where many couldn’t accept it and they deserted Jesus.

Those who stayed had to make a decision, just because they had never seen what Jesus was doing before, just because they had never heard these teachings before, would they choose to have faith and believe or would they decide this is too hard and walk away.

I want to remind you of the verse I read earlier

“But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.” Luke 5:39 NLT

In 2019 are you content to say,

What I have is just fine?
Where I am with God is just fine?
All the undiscovered bottomless things of God are just fine?
Just getting by is just fine?

Do you remember what I said about electricity? It didn’t have to be invented, but it DID have to be discovered and understood. We need to be driven to discover and understand the bottomless things of God, EVEN THOSE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO PRECEDENT!

If you are like me, then you are not satisfied with “THIS IS JUST FINE” MENTALITY! In 2019, we have to be willing to put on some new flexible wine skins. What that means is we may have to be willing to sacrifice our own ideas, opinions, agendas, and preferences. We may have to sacrifice our time, our comfort zones, and our traditions!

Traditions can be a good thing; we just enjoyed a holiday season where I am sure many of you have traditions. Certain traditions can be healthy, but some can be harmful.

When tradition is doing something for the simple reason that we have always done it this way, it can inhibit growth and forward momentum. I heard the Lord speak to my spirit….this year choose ignition instead of tradition!

In that context, I am talking about tradition as doing something simply because we have always done it that way, even though God stopped directing that a long time ago.

When I think about IGNITION, it gives me the idea of a rocket ship launching. I believe God is challenging us to “Fan into flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gift God imparted to each of us” (2 Timothy 1:6). WE NEED TO BE IGNIGTED!

We need to dare to believe again, dream big again, and have faith to hope for the things we haven’t seen yet. Even the things for which there is NO PRECENDENT!

I opened with definitions of the word precedent, now let me take you to the Bible’s definition of “NO PRECEDENT”.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV

9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

I particularly love that last verse in the Amplified Bible; it says, “The bottomless things of God”! While I know that we often think this passage only pertains to heaven, I believe it also applies to earth. There are some things that eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and man has not even thought of that God wants to do for His people to advance His kingdom.

Are you someone who wants 2019 to be full of the things God has that eye has not seen and ear has not heard? If that is you, let me give you some next steps.

It’s a new year and it is time for a new wine skin! We need to get alone with God and allow Him to renew our mind and transform us from unhealthy tradition to ignition.
- We must avoid imposing past traditional structures on present renewals. We should understand that yesterday’s forms are often incapable of handling today’s dynamic of spiritual renewal
Make prayer a priority! Plan now to be a part of our week of prayer and fasting starting this Sunday January 13^th.
- Ask God to show you specific things that you are to pray and believe for in 2019. Then write it down. This will keep you focused throughout the year.
- Begin now to plan how you will participate in the fast. Write down your plan so you will be more likely to stick with it.
NEW BEGINNINGS….BELIEVE AGAIN!
- I realize that sometimes it is easier to settle, to feel like the old is good enough, but I am here to challenge you to hope and expect again.
- It is important to inspect what you expect. Set some goals; write down what you are expecting God to do in the coming days. Have courage to believe again, even if you have been disappointed, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and dare to believe again!
- Stay persistent! Many people plan to change the way they eat or the way they exercise at the New Year. The reality is, the majority will not even make that change last until the end of the month. If you go back to the old ways, you never have anything new. If you want something you have never had, you are going to have to do something you have never done.

I am asking God to help me let my guard down; to not be afraid to believe for the big things. I am asking Him to change any doubt into faith, and to give me some bulldog tenacity and persistence to stay with it until the end. I want to keep on believing for the things I see with my spirit eyes regardless of what I see with my natural eyes. Will you believe with me this year?

References:

Web. 1 Jan. 2019. http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily confused/precedence precedent.htm
“Precedent.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Web. 1 Jan. 2019. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precedent
Web. 1 Jan. 2019. wonderopolis.org/wonder/who-discovered-electricity

Under the Influence

29 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth

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Tags

influence, positive

Have you ever watched any of the funny videos of people who are waking up from anesthesia? I found several by searching YouTube.

There is one, where the person just loves everyone, and even proposes to the health care provider
I found one where two brothers actually convince their poor sister, who wakes up from having her wisdom teeth pulled, that there is a zombie apocalypse happening!
There is a girl who is convinced that they took her lips off
And a white boy who is convinced he is now Mexican

I can tell you I have had the opportunity to witness this very phenomenon more than a few times with my husband. The problem is you never know which version of him, he will wake up to be….one time he was a comedian, the next a wild man, and then usually he just loves everyone and tells them what an amazing job they are doing.

The point I am making is that many people who are under the influence of anesthesia will say and do things that they would not normally say or do! We also know of negative examples of things people do differently when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In general, these individual’s judgment is impaired. They often make decisions that they would not otherwise make, and they may go places where they normally would not go.
Often their speech is impacted; they may slur their speech, or say things that they normally would not say, and my later regret.
The way they walk may also be effected. They may fail the field sobriety tests where law enforcement asks them to walk in a straight line, turn on one foot, and walk back on the straight line.
Someone under the influence is often more emotional and expresses love in a more open way. Some people marry strangers when they are under the influence!
Many also have an unusual level of bravery or boldness. Some people actually refer to alcohol as liquid courage.

Normally when we consider people being “under the influence”, we think of it in negative terms. For example, someone driving while “under the influence”. I want you to expand your thought process and consider it a different way. If most people were different when under the influence of anesthesia, drugs, or alcohol, would you agree that people could also be different when they are under the influence of an all-powerful God?

Romans 8:5 AMP

For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.

I believe that those who are controlled by and under the influence of an all-mighty and all-powerful God also do things they would not normally do too!

In general, these individual’s judgment is not impaired but heightened. They often make decisions that they would not otherwise make. Let me give you an example. Recently I dropped some friends off at a store to pick up something, while I went down the street for fuel. When I got back, two of them came out carrying the boxes, but said my other friend would be a minute….she was in there praying for a woman who has a bad back! When you are under the influence of an all-powerful God, you do things like pray for hurting people in the store, even if they are a perfect stranger!
Just like the first group, people under the influence of God will also have their speech impacted; they may say things that they normally would not say. When we are controlled by an all-powerful God, we can speak with words that are not taught by human wisdom, but words taught by the Spirit! (1 Corinthians 2:13)There have been countless times in my life, when someone being influenced by God has spoken words of encouragement to me, when there is no way except through God they could have known I needed those words!
When we are under the influence of God, it isn’t just our speech that is effected, but also the way we walk.Ps 119:1-3 NKJV …walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. If we are under the influence of an all-powerful God, the way we walk should be effected.
Ephesians 4:1b-3 NKJV

1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! 3 They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.
- We should walk in love (Ephesians 5:1-2)
- We should walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8-12)
- We should walk wisely and not as fools (Ephesians 5:15)
1 John 2:6 NKJV

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
One other thing I said about people under the influence of anesthesia or even other drugs/alcohol is that they are often more emotional and express love in a more open way. There is no love like God’s love. The influence of God in our lives gives us the ability to love the unlovable in ways that would normally be humanly impossible.
The last attribute I mentioned about those under the influence is a heightened level of bravery or boldness. I am here to tell you that when an all-powerful God influences you, you will have opportunities for great boldness and bravery.

We see many examples of boldness and bravery in Scripture, but one that immediately comes to mind is Peter. This man had just recently denied knowing Jesus when they came to take Him for crucifixion. Then we see this same man not long after Jesus’ resurrection, under the influence of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, stand up boldly proclaiming the gospel and preaching his first sermon. The people responded asking, “What must we do to be saved?” He saw about 3000 souls come to the Kingdom that day!

We have seen all these examples of how things can change under the influence of an all-powerful God, but how do we tap into that? To answer that question, we first must consider the influences around us.

The word “Influence” can be defined as a powerful legacy, something passed on to you from family. It can also mean to sway, or effect or alter by indirect or intangible means.

The reality is that we have people and many forms of information, media, and communication that influence us each day. Sometimes that influence can be positive and sometimes it is negative. Look at these two examples from the Bible.

Romans 7:24-25 Message Bible

24 I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? 25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

James 2:1 Message Bible

My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.

Not only do forces of influence surround us, but also we as individuals, have an opportunity to influence those in our own circles. Take a moment and consider who have been the most influential people in your life. Perhaps you are thinking of a parent or grandparent, maybe a teacher or a pastor, maybe a friend or coworker.

I did a Google search for the most influential people of all time¹. According to one survey that named the top 100 most influential people, Jesus Christ was number one, but in that very same survey, Muhammad was number six! Moses was #18 but Hitler was #17! We have an opportunity every day to be an influential person; the question we should consider is if our influence is positive or negative?

There are benefits of being a positive influence.

Proverbs 11:11 AMP

By the blessing of the influence of the upright and God’s favor the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Psalm 112:1-9 NLT

1 Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.2 Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.3 They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.4 Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.5 Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.6 Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered.7 They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.8 They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.9 They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.

On the other hand, we can also see in Scripture those who were negative influencers. Here is just one example.

1 Kings 21:25-26 NLT

No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel.

Every person has opportunities to be either a positive or a negative influence on the lives of those we touch. This picture speaks of influence…

It says “I thought about quitting, then I noticed who was watching”. You can put a blank there instead of the word quitting and fill it with many things that would apply to your ability to influence others. Here are some examples:

I thought about HATING then I noticed who was watching
I thought about SINNING then I noticed who was watching
I thought about GOSSIPING then I noticed who was listening

YOU FILL IN THE BLANK! You can fill it with whatever your greatest struggles are. NONE OF US ARE EXEMPT! Now let’s turn those words around.

I thought about showing kindness….because I noticed who was watching
I thought about praying….because I noticed who was watching
I thought about turning the other cheek….because I noticed who was watching
I thought about being generous…because I noticed who was watching
I thought about leading….because I noticed who was following!

OH, THE POWER OF POSITIVE INFLUENCE!

We live in a world that is all about self-gratification….but if we are under the influence of an all-powerful God we can live differently than that. He empowers us to live self-less lives being His hands, feet, and voice extended to this world.

In closing, consider this passage. The prophet Jeremiah is crying out to the Lord and look at how He responds.

Jeremiah 15:19 NLT

19 This is how the Lord responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!

Our world is desperate for those, under the influence of an all-mighty God, to become the most influential people with voices and actions that are louder than all the destructive influences around us!

WE MUST INFLUENCE THIS WORLD MORE THAN IT INFLUENCES US!

https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-people-of-all-time–

Compelled by Compassion

04 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth

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Tags

Compassion, encouragement, love

This post is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, Peggy Parks, who was one of the most compassionate individuals I was blessed to know. Rest in Peace Peggy and enjoy the beauty of heaven!

Have you ever felt compelled by compassion? I hope that we all could respond positively to that question, but I had an opportunity a short time ago to experience this on a different level.

Recently I shared a blog post called “Restore” where I described a difficult personal journey. It seems many have experienced similar circumstances and could relate closely to this teaching. I was invited to share that lesson at our annual Women’s Retreat for the Southern Missouri District of the Assemblies of God.

Every year there are specific mission’s projects that the women’s department sponsors. The theme for this is “Compelled by Compassion”. I sat there in that mission’s service listening to this year’s focus projects, and my heart was so full of compassion unlike I had ever experienced before.

In the afternoon, before it was time for me to share my “Restore” message, I was asked to assist during a prayer service where we prayed for women who had specific needs. As I listened to each one share with me what they needed prayer for, my heart was so sensitive to their pain. As I began my lesson, I realized I was in an unusual state after these activities. I was trying to get through my introduction, feeling very emotional, and I happened to turn where I could see over my shoulder the Mission Theme Banner that said those words, “Compelled by Compassion”. In that moment, I had a realization that this was exactly what I was experiencing! I was being compelled by compassion on an unfamiliar level!

Why was that? I could think of many reasons. In my previous state, I was so overwhelmed that there was no room in my mind to be as sensitive to others. In some situations, I was feeling enough pain myself, that I wanted to block out the pain of others. I also think in my situation, I was running at such breakneck speed that I was doing two or three things at once and never stopping to be “In the moment” that I was currently experiencing.

Some of these responses are simply habits and choices that we can make a decision to change, but some can only be changed when we allow the Lord to do a work in our own heart and restore our soul. I began to realize that since experiencing my own “Restore” journey that I my heart had changed, I was sensing things that I was overlooking before, I was feeling compassion on a different level, and I actually had a totally different perspective on aspects of life that I was previously oblivious to.

As Christians, I believe that we should be different. The challenge is that often we are living life so broken that there isn’t any capacity left to show love and compassion for others. Often our lives are so busy that there is no margin left in our lives to express love and compassion. Lastly, as hard as it is to hear, there are times we are just simply too self-absorbed in thinking about our own needs and desires to open our hearts to show love and compassion to others.

I have to be honest, I still fail at times in these areas, but I am so much more aware of the pain, suffering, and needs of others than I was before this journey. I realize that I can’t be everything for everybody, but if all of us could be compelled by compassion and love, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, how much differently would this world be?

Philippians 2:1-5 NLT

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Compassion is defined as, “Sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.”1 Jesus was the ultimate example of compassion. Look at a few examples.

Matthew 14:14 NLT

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Mark 1:40-41 NLT

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”

Mark 6:34 NLT

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Luke 7:12-15 NLT

A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

All of these are examples of times Jesus had a, “Sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it”!1 There are many more examples of times He was moved with compassion during His ministry, but I want to show you an example of what I call ultimate compassion. We see this example when He was dying on the cross. Not only did He love you and me enough to bare all those stripes for our healing, and pay the supreme price of His death for our salvation, but also while He was enduring unbelievable agony and suffering, He saw those in pain around Him.

Jesus had compassion on the thief who was dying on one side of Him during His own crucifixion. He told him, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

We also read that while He was on the cross He had compassion for His mother.

John 19:25-27 NLT

Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

During His own agony, He was making sure His mother was going to be cared for when He was gone. What an example for us to follow. The Word tells us in Luke 6:36 NLT, “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate”.

Too often, we feel that if we are suffering, we get a pass on showing love and compassion to others, but I believe Jesus shows us a different example.

If you are like me, you are likely thinking it is a tall order. The good news is that the Christ in us enables us to love and express compassion this way. Perhaps you are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13, often known as the “Love Chapter”.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NLT

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I often say that in my own humanness, I cannot love the way this passage defines love, but the Christ in me can! If we will open ourselves to God and let Him do the work in our own hearts, we can have the capacity to love this way with His help.

I believe we are living in a time where showing Christ’s love and compassion is more critical than ever before; not only to our fellow believers, but also to a lost and dying world. The world we live in is dark and it is getting darker!

Think about it a different way. How many of you like the dark? I like it to be dark if I want to look at the stars or if I want to sleep. Darkness often does different things to different people.

Some may like the dark, because it provides cover or protection. For example, deer season is upon us and my husband likes to be in his stand when it is still dark in the morning or until it is dark at night. The darkness provides him cover so the deer don’t see him, and the deer are braver to move out in the open when it is dark.

For some darkness brings fear. Fear can lead to panic. Sometimes fear leads to people turning inward or to self-preservation mode.

Sometimes darkness leads to hopelessness, weariness, or depression. I remember when I first started working in the home medical industry, someone called wanting to know if we could provide a SAD lamp. I had never heard of such a thing and immediately misunderstood the request. I thought they meant “sad” as an emotion, but SAD is actually an abbreviation for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can often be treated by artificial light. Light therapy is thought to affect brain chemicals linked to mood and sleep, easing SAD symptoms.

At times darkness can compel us. If you have a power outage in the evening when there is no outside light, you are compelled to do something about it. You will find either some candles, a flashlight, or some source of artificial light.

Why did I give these examples? Because I want us to think about how we are allowing the darkness of the world we live in to affect us, specifically how is it affecting our ability to show love and compassion?

Are we using the darkness as a cover? Do we have an attitude that because the world is getting darker and darker our efforts don’t make a difference or no one will notice or expect me to express compassion?

Are we allowing the darkness to bring fear that is causing us to turn inward and be in self-preservation mode? Are we only worrying about our own needs and ourselves?

Are we allowing the darkness to bring sadness, hopelessness, or weariness? Do we have the mentality that we have carried the torch long enough and we are tired, it is someone else’s turn?

On the other hand, are we allowing the darkness to compel us to do something? Are we looking for ways to let our light shine in a way that demonstrates the love and compassion of Christ through us?

Jesus said, “….I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV

Another familiar passage found in Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV reads like this:

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

In closing, I want to share a story that Jesus shared, one that is familiar to most about the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:30-37 NLT

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Jesus said, “Go, and do the same”! I believe He is counting on us as His children to be His feet and hands extended, to show love and compassion to those around us.

I have a few questions for you to consider. Are you still so broken yourself that you have no capacity to show compassion on others? If that is the case, He wants to restore your soul!

Are you in a place where you have no margin left in your life? I realize there are times when we have many priorities and many things to do, but if you hear yourself constantly saying, “I don’t have time!” Maybe you need to get alone with God and ask Him to show you where you need to make some changes. If we are honest with ourselves, we really have time for the things that are important to us.

Lastly, ask yourself the hardest question….am I too self-absorbed? Am I so concerned with my own needs and desires that I have no room to think about others? Am I willing to sacrifice some of my time and energy, or even my finances to show compassion and love to others?

These are important questions for us to consider. I believe God is asking us to live our lives compelled by compassion!

“Compassion” Merriam-Webster.com

It is Written

15 Monday May 2017

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth

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encouragement, It is Written, scripture

Image1 (2) I am excited to introduce my third book, “It is Written” now available at Amazon. I am sharing the introduction below for all of my blog readers. I am particularly proud of this project, because it is all about God’s written Word. It is a topical Scripture reference guide, we all should have available, which is packed full of passages for the topics you face in your life.

You will find passages on the following topics:

The power of the Word
What you speak
Faith
Protection
Warfare
Children
Salvation
Healing
Financial freedom
Needs
Worship/Praise for who He is
Anxiety/Fear/Stress/Worry
Comfort
Depression/Disappointment/Discouragement
Hope/Peace/Courage
Freedom/Liberty
Overcoming temptation and addiction
Anger
Love

I love the Word of God and I view it as my roadmap, my book of instructions, my inspiration and encouragement, my list of promises, my prayer guide, and a mighty weapon against the enemy…just to name a few! We learn about the armor of God that is available to us in Ephesians Chapter 6. All of the pieces of armor are defensive except one – the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This is our offensive weapon and if we want to be victorious, we must learn how to use it wisely.

Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Speaking, proclaiming, and praying the Word of God is so powerful in the life of a believer. Jesus Himself provides our greatest example. When He walked on this earth, He faced the same temptations and challenges that we as humans face. When He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to endure a great time of testing by Satan, he overcame him through three words, “IT IS WRITTEN!”

Matthew 4:1-11 NKJV

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

When you use the Word of God as your weapon, you also can be victorious just as Jesus was. The answer to every issue you face can be found in the pages of God’s Written Word. I encourage you to use these passages or create even more of your own to arm yourself and to become strong in the Lord with the power of His Word.

When you have a need, begin declaring the answer with the promises found on these pages. When you do not know what to pray, begin praying and claiming the Scriptures. Take the Word of God and write your own declarations and prayers. Hide it in your heart and you will become a mighty man or woman of faith!

Follow the link below to order your copy today!

Keys To The Kingdom

25 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth

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Keys to the Kingdom

I am so excited to announce the release of my Keys newest book, Keys To The Kingdom.

To peak your interest to get your own copy, I am going to share the introduction of the book with you below. Get your copy today at Amazon.com.

Keys To The Kingdom

Introduction

Looking back I see now that I have always had a storied history with keys – physical, lock-opening, ordinary keys. Having been a Christian for many years, it should not have surprised me then that the Lord chose to use such a simple, tangible object as a touchstone for my spiritual growth and learning down the road. The book you hold in your hands contains many of those teachings. But first, before the spiritual significance of keys could ever become part of my experience, I had to learn a few things about keys in a general, human way.

As I consider my history with keys, a few stories come to mind.

The first time I really paid attention to keys was as a sixteen-year-old. Most of my friends at the time were younger than I, and we all thought it was cool that I could drive them home after basketball games. As teenagers, transportation freedom is one of those rites of passage leading to all other types of independence, and we were no exception. Also not unusual was the fact that we didn’t always act responsibly with our new freedom.

One night – and I still shudder to recall how we were allowed to do this, especially in the winter – our coach let us leave our game still in our sweaty uniforms. Shorts, a sleeveless shirt, and knee-high tube socks were hardly appropriate for the temperature outside the gym. My two friends and I drove through our small town that night. We came to a stop light, and one of them hollered, “Chinese fire drill!” The three of us reacted with great excitement by jumping out of the car, running around it, and clamoring back in before the light turned green. I don’t know if teens today still take part in this silliness, but it was great fun for us at the time.

My car, however, made “Chinese fire drills” difficult because it had a five-speed, manual transmission. This meant I needed to ensure the car was in neutral and the emergency brake was engaged before jumping out to run around the car. On that particular night my friends, as they ran past the driver’s side of the vehicle, hit the door lock and shut the driver’s side door. They thought it was entertaining to watch me standing outside the car, freezing, at a stop light.

Not one to let the fun pass by, I decided to return the favor. During the next fire drill, I ran past the passenger side doors, and I locked and shut them. It would have been funny, except that I didn’t realize my friends were doing the exact same thing on my side of the car, probably at the exact same moment! The humor of our funny prank quickly dissipated when we realized we were all standing outside the car at a stop light, in our sleeveless shirts and short shorts, in the middle of winter, at night, locked out of the car, with no spare set of keys. The feeling of frustration and discomfort is something I still recall to this day.

Years later, I had another run-in with keys, but this time it wasn’t such a funny story. It was, in fact, a bit scary.

My husband and I lived in the country, and our first child was about a year old at the time. I worked the late shift at a hospital about thirty minutes from home. One night the hospital was on “lockdown” because of a local situation where a manhunt for an escaped, dangerous convict was underway. Someone reported seeing a man sneaking in through the Emergency Room, so the hospital was locked while this report was investigated. After a thorough search, the convict was not located within the hospital. It was a good news/bad news situation, though – certainly I was relieved there wasn’t a runaway convict hiding in the hospital where I worked, but I was also about to leave my shift and head for home along a dark, rural road at 11:30 at night. The convict was still at large, and I was about to be out in the darkness, alone. As I left, I kept looking at the row of trees lining the road, scanning them carefully and anticipating that the convict would jump out at any time. By the time I arrived at home, un-attacked, I was a jittery mess and eager for the safety of our home.

Living in a rural area, we often left our doors unlocked. None of my neighbors or anyone I knew in the area could recall the last time there had been a home burglary, and it was nice to live in a trusting community where locked doors weren’t a frightening necessity. That meant, however, that I didn’t often keep a house key on my set of keys. Why would I ever need it?

That night, however, likely because of the manhunt, I found the doors to my home locked. I knocked and knocked, pounded on the door with all my might, and tried to awaken my husband. He was sleeping at the other end of the house and with the attic fan running, there was little chance he would hear me. In my spooked state, I was certain the convict would jump out of the bushes any moment and attack me.

At the time, we had a rescued Doberman named Max living with us in our backyard. Max and I hadn’t quite figured each other out yet by that time and, while I was fairly certain he was harmless, I’d had a run-in with him recently and knew he could be quite protective of our son and our yard. Still, since the front door was locked, making it through the yard to my bedroom window seemed my only hope. If I could arrive at the window unscathed, perhaps I would be able to bang on the window loud enough to wake my husband.

I approached the yard cautiously, and Max immediately began to growl. This didn’t bode well at all. In that moment, I had to choose between my fear of the dog and my fear of the man who might jump out to get me at any moment. After deciding to take my chances with the dog, I made my way to the window; it was just high enough to be barely out of my reach. About that time, I heard Max snorting and pawing at the ground. I turned in time to see a snarling Doberman in full stride, headed straight for me.

To my amazement, and I never will quite understand how it happened this way, he didn’t attack me. Rather, he jumped up and hit the window with his head. Then, he backed up and did it again!

I breathed a sigh of deep relief when, moments later, the porch light came one, the back door was opened to me, and my startled, sleepy husband stood in the doorway in a stupor, trying to figure out what was happening.

Without a key, without access to open a door, I needed to open, the anxiety and fear and hopelessness of being locked out was immeasurable. I’ve never forgotten what it felt like. But the sensation of having the door opened to me was equally memorable – there was joy, gratefulness, and a deep sense of relief.

I tell you these two stories to make a specific point: Keys are important because we do not like to be locked out. And, just as we need keys in our natural life, spiritual keys are also a necessity. Jesus provided us with some important spiritual keys.

During Jesus’ earthly time of ministry, He met with his disciples and asked them who people thought He was. The passage below tells this story.

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 16.13-19)

Here, Jesus told His disciples at the time and all future believers that He had purchased some keys for us, keys which will enable us to walk in greater fullness and victory on this side of heaven. While I had read and quoted this particular passage from the Bible for years, the keys mentioned here took on new meaning about six months ago.

During a normal Sunday morning sermon, our pastor flashed the above verse about keys on the screen briefly. He did so to demonstrate one of the points of his sermon, though I don’t recall entirely now what the sermon was about. At the end of the service, I was led to pray for a particular friend who was fighting a physical illness. While I was praying, in my mind, a vision of an old-timey lock came to me. Some would call it a skeleton lock, and perhaps you have seen the antique skeleton keys which were used in such locks long ago. As I prayed, I heard the Lord say, “I have given her the keys!”

Remarkably, after that service, I saw keys everywhere I looked. I couldn’t escape them! For example, a billboard sign I pass by regularly and never take notice of had a key on it, and it stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I began to notice how many of the inspirational quotes I read mentioned keys in their messages. I even noticed there is a key emoji on my phone!

Around that time, my daughter asked me, “Mom, what do you want for Mother’s Day?”

While I don’t normally want or need anything, I knew as soon as she asked that this year was different. I had found a set of forty-two unique skeleton keys, and I really wanted a box with a skeleton key lock on the outside. I already knew exactly how I wanted to use the box and the keys, and I was excited to put my revelation into practice in a visual way.

In the chapters to come, we will talk about what I did with those keys and how transformational our vision of keys can be in our spiritual lives. The spiritual keys I discuss are closely related, and they become more powerful when connected together.

I pray that you too will realize every key on our key ring has a purpose. Relying on these keys is an important tool in making sure we aren’t locked out of all that is intended for us.

ORDER YOUR COPY BY CLICKING HERE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1633082571/#

Pruning Season

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth

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branches, fruitfulness, grapevine, pruning, roots, slope, soil, sun, vine

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” John 15:1-2 NLT

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He taught the people using parables and analogies that made the message relatable. This particular passage of Scripture about pruning in the vineyard is packed full of truths that can be applied to our lives. When we consider the practice of pruning, especially at this time of year before growing season, it is relatively easy to consider the importance of pruning away dead or diseased branches. However, the interesting thought found here is the fact that he also prunes the good branches to make them better.

Sometimes the most powerful enemy of “great” is settling for good. These words that Jesus spoke challenge me to be open to the reality that sometimes our Heavenly Father will prune good things out of our lives to create great things.

Letting go of the good can be unsettling and very difficult at times. We like the comfort of the known and the security of the familiar. Truthfully, we are often attached to the “good” in our lives, and it is difficult to release that without knowing what “great” looks like or when it will arrive! This is the point where our level of trust in the gardener will be critical. We have to believe that He knows best even while we wait to see the results that come from the pruning process.

Like many spiritual concepts, this is easier said, than done, so let me try to encourage you further. There are many factors that can affect the overall quality of a grapevine, but the three most important are climate, slope, and soil.¹

For the best fruitfulness, vineyards need to be in a climate where there is a lot of sun. When they are positioned on a slope, they get full advantage of the sun, are more protected from the frost, and benefit from the best drainage. Drainage is the most important factor for healthy soil, which is critical for strong root systems. Healthy roots determine level of growth or fruitfulness.

How can we apply this to our own spiritual lives? Keep reading below from the passage we read at the beginning:

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. John 15:4-5; 8 NLT

Just as a climate with much sun is important for a fruitful vineyard, our connection to the “Son” is equally significant. We must remain in Him; spend time in His presence and in His Word if we want to be fruitful.

Our slope is crucial for two key reasons. First, in the context of position to best absorb the sun and avoid the frost. From a spiritual standpoint, we must position ourselves as victors and not victims. We cannot be fruitful with a victim mentality. Secondly, proper slope determines drainage. We have to position ourselves where the pain, stress, hurt, and all other negative influences can drain away. If we allow those things to remain, the soil and ultimately our root system will be diseased and damaged, preventing growth.

If you find yourself in a pruning season, it can be very painful because you often do not understand what is happening. Try to remember that if He is pruning you above the ground, your root system is multiplying below the ground. Even when the process is painful, try to focus on the fact that He wants to take you from good to great!

Reference

1. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viticulture

In Your Place

04 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth

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Elijah, In Your Place, insignificant, irrelevant, plan, purpose

16933338_10208778665523839_1348636568_n Did you know when God created you, He had a specific place for you to occupy in His plan? Many people feel insignificant in this world, but no one is irrelevant in the kingdom of God. Paul, the apostle who wrote the majority of the New Testament understood the significance of the place God designed specifically for him.

“But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.” Galatians 1:15-16 NLT

Paul realized that God was the one who chose him and selected his place. You could say that God anoints those He appoints for a specific purpose or place…and we all have one! Elijah is one of the best examples of a man who was in his place mightily used by God.

We first read about Elijah in 1 Kings Chapter 17. “At this time Ahab, who was the seventh and worst king of Israel came to reign. He took for his wife Jezebel who was a zealous participant of the worship of Baal. Ahab’s marriage to her led to the official endorsement of this immoral and idolatrous worship.”¹

God’s solution to Israel’s worst king was to raise up one of the greatest and most powerful prophets in the Old Testament named Elijah. He confronted King Ahab and tells him, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1b NKJV).

Have you ever wondered why Elijah did this? Those who worshipped Baal believed that Baal controlled the rain. Elijah cut to heart of Baalism and challenged their so-called god by proclaiming that there would be no rain until he said there would be rain!

After nearly three years of drought, the question about who really controlled the rain was answered in a battle between 450 prophets of Baal and 1 prophet of the Lord, Elijah. The prophets of Baal failed to call down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice that was offered, but the one true God responded to Elijah’s prayer. Then all 450 false prophets were slain (see 1 Kings 18:20-40).

He went on to prophesy the return of the rain to the land and the drought ended. He had a very specific purpose and place to occupy and saw an amazing victory in his place. God has a place and a purpose for each one of us. He has specific calls upon our lives just as he did Elijah. If you are struggling with that truth, I pray that the Lord will help you to step out in faith and believe that He predestined you for fruitfulness.

There are two common challenges that many of us will face. First, it is sometimes difficult to understand where our place is. Secondly, when we find it, sometimes God will transition you to a new one. A wonderful couple in my church used to lead our prison ministry. They were in their place, but then God called them to pass that ministry to someone else and become pastors of a different church.

When you find yourself in a place of transition, it can be very unsettling. I recently posted a picture on my Secret Place Revelation Facebook page that showed two different paths….the message said, “Rejection can be God’s way of saying wrong direction.”

There are times in life where we may find ourselves feeling obsolete or purposeless, but I am here to tell you that this is simply not true. Sometimes those feelings are compounded because the path in front of you seems to be going in a new direction and in order for you to move forward in the new way, you have to let go of the old way. This transition can leave you feeling unsure of you place or your purpose.

There are also times when you are going the right way, but the enemy continues to put obstacles in your path to discourage you from continuing forward. Discerning which situation you are currently facing can often be very difficult.

This thought brings me back to the story of Elijah. This man just experienced the greatest victory that should have left him full of confidence that he was in the right place. However, when Ahab told his wife Jezebel what had happened in the battle of the prophets, she sent a message that his life would be taken next! This sent Elijah running for his life to a place of utter discouragement that made him want to die (see 1 Kings 19).

The Lord was so merciful to Elijah during this time, He continued to minister to him but he eventually finds himself in a cave and the Bible tells us that the Word of the Lord came to him there and said, “What are you doing here Elijah?” (1 King 19:9b)

1 Kings 19:10 NKJV

So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

The Lord continues to try to encourage Elijah…

1 Kings 19:11-16 NKJV

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

Did you see those last three words…IN YOUR PLACE? If someone as mighty and powerful as Elijah can go from a place of such great victory to a place of such discouragement and purposelessness, we can too!

I have often asked myself, “What happened to his faith?” This man prayed there would not be rain and there wasn’t for almost three years. He prayed for the dead son of the widow of Zarephath and he returned to life. He prayed fire down from heaven that consumed the sacrifice, yet the threat of Jezebel sent him into a state of great discouragement that seemingly took him out of his place.

My pastor recently said, “Disappointments are inevitable but discouragement is a choice.” Do you think it is possible that Elijah could have continued in his place if he could have overcome the discouragement he was in? I have always wondered. He was an amazing and mighty man of God and he certainly received his reward with a chariot ride to heaven, but consider for a moment the possibility of what he missed completing when he was told to anoint Elisha to take his place?

I do not want to be a person who fails to be in my place. I don’t want God to have to look for someone else to complete the call He gives me to do. We have a mission at our church, “To know Him more, and to make Him known.” I have a place in this mission and so do you! I cannot let the devil or a Jezebel talk me out of that.

I am encouraging you to make that mission personal….“To know Him more and to make Him know IN YOUR PLACE!”

References

New Spirit Filled Life Bible 2002 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. p 467

What is Your Word for 2017?

21 Saturday Jan 2017

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth, Encouragement

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2017, advancement, favor, order, results, victory

It is hard to believe that three weeks have already come and gone in 2017. For many people, this is all the time it has taken for their New Year’s resolutions to be scrapped. We always have such good intentions, but then life happens and few carry through.

I want to challenge you early in this year to consider a different question. Instead of what is your resolution, what is your word for 2017? On the first day of this New Year, our Pastor challenged us with this question during his sermon. He told us that God gave Abram a small word “go”, and this word had great significance for his life and future.

I pondered and prayed about this question for almost a week. I asked God, “What word will define my life in You in 2017?” Finally, I felt clearly that word drop into my spirit…..FAVOR. When I heard that word, I picked up my phone and asked Siri what the definition of favor was. She replied, “Support or advancement given as a sign of approval or overgenerous preferential treatment.” If I consider this definition of favor in the context of my question, it gives me great anticipation about what 2017 could hold for me!

I began to ponder and pray specifically about that word and I quickly saw an acrostic for that word “favor”.

F = Father

The significance for this in my personal life is that our church had been in transition between Pastors for about six months. We had amazing support from our semi-retired staff pastor in the interim, but January 1, 2017 marked the day that our new father was home. Many fail to see the significance of a spiritual father, but I place high emphasis on this role in my life. Just as a natural father provides protection, guidance, and authority for a household, a spiritual father can equally bring stability to a corporate body who submits to their headship. It is a powerful force in the life of a believer.

A = Advancement

I believe 2017 is a year of forward momentum! Waiting is painful, but sometimes essential. During those delays, we are often being prepared for what is ahead. At the appointed time, the door opens and it is time to advance. I am believing for some open doors this year!

V = Victory

2017 can be a year of great victory in your life. Sometimes it feels as if we are circling the same mountains over and over in our lives, but I believe this year it will be more like circling the walls of Jericho, where we see the obedient persistence causes the wall to fall flat and create a bridge into our future! (See Joshua 6)

O = Order

Some Christian references state that the number 17 represents “perfection of spiritual order”.¹ I believe this signifies things coming into alignment. Alignment sets the stage for advancement and ultimate victory!

R = Results

Many people have been faithful for extended periods. They have contended and persevered through multiple challenges and navigated many obstacles, but I believe this is the year for results!

I am claiming Psalm 5:12 for my life this year. “For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield” (NASU). I believe this is a year of favor for my life. What is your word for 2017? I encourage you to seek the Lord, hear His voice, then write it down and watch it happen this year!

References:

Adam F. Thompson & Adrian Beale, The Divinity Code (Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2011

What Will You Do With Black Friday?

21 Monday Nov 2016

Posted by Rhonda Barnes in Christian growth, Encouragement

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Black Firday, failure, faith, overcomer, passionate, Peter, risk taker, victory

Today marks the beginning of a holiday week where we take time to celebrate Thanksgiving. Often part of that celebration is sitting around a table together enjoying food and fellowship with those we love.

As with many of our holidays, the once simplified celebrations have become much commercialized. For many, Thanksgiving has become about “Black Friday” which now really begins on Thursday.

I am not here to criticize anyone who takes advantage of the sales of black Friday, even if it is on Thursday, but what I do want to do is look at a parallel story in Scripture.

I always struggle with that term “Black Friday”. Originally, this was used because it is the day many retailers finally move from the red to the black, or become profitable, because of the large amount of shopping for the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

However, when I hear the term “Black Friday”, it just sounds like a dark thing. Don’t you think it is interesting that another Friday that was a dark day for many is called “Good Friday”?

Indulge my play on words here for a moment, because I want to show you what a man named Peter did with his “Black Friday” that most call “Good Friday”. This is the place in the story, where if you were watching it on TV or at a movie, you would see the words flash across the screen “ABOUT ONE MONTH EARLIER”.

Who is this man named Peter? We first learn about Peter in Matthew 4:18-20:

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

We learn here that Peter was the first man Jesus called to follow Him. The Bible says that he and his brother IMMEDIATELY left their nets and followed Him, even though they didn’t know anything about Him.

This is the first clue we get about what kind of man Peter was.

1. He Was A Man Of Faith

We must use faith when we do not know the outcome. Peter shows here that he is willing to use his faith to follow Jesus. We read a few chapters later where Jesus named him the first of his twelve disciples and empowered him for ministry. (Matthew 10:1-2)

The next thing we learn about Peter is that he is:

2. A Risk Taker

A familiar story is found in Matthew 14:25-32 (NKJV)

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

It is easy to criticize Peter for having this moment of weak faith and doubt, but I have always said it this way, “I WOULD RATHER BE A WET WATER WALKER THAN A DRY BOAT TALKER!!!”

Peter was testing his sea legs, he took the risk, and I am sure that his faith and his character were strengthened by it.

The next key scripture we read about Peter is found in Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus tells us the next characteristic of Peter he is:

3. A Rock

Again, we see here Peter is at the head of the class. Jesus asked the question and Peter is the one who spoke up! If you remember from the first passage we read, his name was Simon and Jesus called him Peter.

The word “Peter”, in Greek, means “a rock”. Christ gave it to Simon when he called him to be a disciple.

There are many different opinions of the interpretation of this passage, but let me tell you my personal thoughts. When asked who Jesus is, Peter says that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God…..Jesus is pleased with Peter’s response and tells him that he is blessed because this information has been REVEALED to him by His Father in heaven!

Basically, Jesus is saying that because Peter expressed His true character by calling Him the Son of God, He also, has given Peter a name expressive of his character. He called him Peter, a rock, denoting firmness, solidity, and stability.

Further, I believe Jesus is telling Peter that this REVEALED KNOWLEDGE OF WHO HE IS COMES WITH MUCH AUTHORITY!

Peter’s learning curve continues just a few verses later in Matthew 16:21-23.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Here we see the next characteristic of Peter.

4. He Was A Passionate Man

The definition of passionate is, “capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feelings.” Peter clearly shows in this passage that he is capable of intense emotion, he shows he was dramatically affected by what Jesus described that was going to happen to Him, and he was intense in expressing those feelings!

Peter was a passionate man. He had left everything to follow Jesus. He recognized Him as the Son of God, I am sure he did not expect that the Son of God would suffer and die! I am sure Peter could not bear to think of Jesus’ death, He most likely expected a triumphant Messiah and couldn’t imagine how death fit in that plan.

Has your passion ever gotten you into trouble? Mine has. There have been times I have felt so passionate about something at work that I just didn’t know when to be quiet. It could be perceived here that Peter was in trouble with Jesus for expressing his passion.

For many, this would have been a good quitting place. A place to get disillusioned and to stop being part of the Jesus team! Not Peter. He didn’t quit; he received the rebuke from his Master. He had to learn that his passion was in opposition to the master plan of salvation for all of us. He learned submission and continued with fervency.

In fact, we read that six days later he took that same kind of passion up on the mount of transfiguration. You can read about it in Matthew 17:1-8. Peter wanted to stay in that place of God’s presence and passionately expressed this desire.

You just have to love Peter. He tries so hard! We have already seen he isn’t afraid to move in faith, to be a risk taker, and to express his passion. He is trying to get it right this time. He says to the Lord, “It is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Peter recognized that this was a place in God’s presence he had never experienced before….it was a good place! What he still had to learn is there is always purpose for the presence. They would need this experience in the coming days. Furthermore, if they had stayed there, not only would their purpose not have been fulfilled, but also the boy at the foot of that mountain would never have been healed.

This is the place in the story where we began before going back and looking at the previous month’s activities. Now we find Peter is sitting with Jesus and all the disciples as they celebrate a Passover meal, much like we sat around tables in the last few days with our loved ones celebrating Thanksgiving.

Scripture tells us that they ate, they sang a hymn, and then left for the Mount of Olives. Just as Black Friday began on Thursday this year, this was the beginning of Peter’s Black Friday.

Let’s pick up reading the story from here.

Matthew 26:31-35 NKJV

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

If you keep reading, you see where Jesus led them to Gethsemane. Again, just like at the mount of transfiguration, he only took His three closest with him, this time asking them to join Him in prayer. Peter was the first he asked. If you know the story, it is in this garden that Jesus is arrested and taken away to face his accusers

Now let’s read about Peter’s “Black Friday”

Matthew 26:69-75 NKJV

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

We have learned that Peter is:

A Man of Faith
A Risk Taker
A Rock
A Passionate Man

But now we see that He is:

5. A FAILURE!

This is the place in the story where we ask the question we began with….

“WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH BLACK FRIDAY?”

“What will you do with that moment of failure?”

The one thing I am confident of is that each of us have all had times in our life where we felt like a failure. Maybe you started as a man or woman of faith, but a situation came in your life that caused you to lose hope/lose your footing/ and your faith failed.

Maybe you were the risk taker….you were the one willing to step out of the boat against all odds only to lose sight of the goal and sink ending in failure.

Perhaps you are the one who is always a rock, your stable, your fixed, your tenacious, yet that one situation caused your rock to crumble ending in failure.

Possibly, you are the passionate one. The one who is capable of expressing intense feelings and because of your intense passion, a season of failure hits you the hardest.

You can put your own name on “Black Friday” it comes in many forms. It could be a personal failure, but it could also be a major trial. Maybe a family issue, maybe a health concern, the list goes on.

THE QUESTION IS, “WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR BLACK FRIDAY?”

Let’s go back and look at what Peter did with his. Maybe you have heard the phrase, “It may feel like Friday night, but Sunday is on the way!” Jesus died on Friday but He arose on Sunday, which afforded us the opportunity to make every failure a victory.

Not long after Jesus’ resurrection, we read where he was meeting with His disciples for breakfast…

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. (John 21:15-18 NKJV)

I may not have any Bible scholars see this passage the way I do, but let me tell you what I see….

First, I think it is interesting that Jesus called him Simon. He had named him Peter that means “Rock” yet here for the first time that I know of, He goes back to his given name Simon. I personally believe that Jesus knew how Peter was feeling. He knew that he felt like such a failure and didn’t deserve the name given to him by Jesus at that moment. He knew Peter didn’t feel like a rock and He was reaching out to him in his current state of despair.

The second thing that stands out to me is the fact that Jesus asked Peter the same question three times. “Do you love me?” I believe He purposefully did that because he was giving Peter the opportunity to “feel” forgiven for ALL three times he denied Him!

Now we see that Peter has a new characteristic.

6. Peter is Forgiven!

The third thing I see from this passage is Jesus’ response to Peter each time. He tells him to feed and tend to My sheep. To me, this speaks of Peter’s purpose. He was the first man Jesus called to follow Him. He had a plan for Peter’s life. He wanted to take this man’s faith, his ability to be a risk taker, his stability, and his passion and turn him into a mighty minister to spread the gospel.

BUT FIRST, HE HAD TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH HIS BLACK FRIDAY!

Would he let this failure, this disappointment, this difficult day be the end of his purpose or would he allow this black day to propel him into his intended future?

If you know Scripture, you know the answer to this question. After Jesus ascended to heaven it was Peter who preached an amazing sermon. Take the time to read it in Acts 2:14-41. There were over 3000 people saved that day!

Now we see the last characteristic of Peter, he is:

7. An Overcomer!

You can continue to read in the book of Acts where he was used by God to perform many miracles, he ministered to the Gentiles, he was imprisoned and delivered, and he wrote two of the books of the Bible!

So what did Peter do with his “Black Friday”? He allowed a day of great disappointment, great disillusionment, and great failure to propel him into his divine destiny.

It isn’t all about falling; it is about getting back up. So the question I have for each of you today is, “What will you do with your “Black Friday”?

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Secret Place Revelation

~ Insights Gained in Daily Devotions, Bible Study, and Prayer

Category Archives: Christian growth

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NO PRECEDENT!

Under the Influence

Compelled by Compassion

“Compassion” Merriam-Webster.com

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Keys To The Kingdom

Keys To The Kingdom

Pruning Season

Reference

1. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viticulture

In Your Place

References

New Spirit Filled Life Bible 2002 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. p 467

What is Your Word for 2017?

References:

Adam F. Thompson & Adrian Beale, The Divinity Code (Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2011

What Will You Do With Black Friday?

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“Compassion” Merriam-Webster.com

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Keys To The Kingdom

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1. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viticulture

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New Spirit Filled Life Bible 2002 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. p 467

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Adam F. Thompson & Adrian Beale, The Divinity Code (Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2011

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