Jesus promised ALL who pass through this door shall experience Tribulation!

Below is another excellent devotion, written by David Wilkerson (see below) on the subject of “Encouragement.”

Whether we realize it or not, if you are a born-again Christian, which is a person who no longer lives his or her life to serve SELF, but who lives to serve the Lord, then you have signed on for a training program, to prepare you for eternity and also for your service and ministry in this life; and that training program will last for as long as you live in this world.

The level of majority that we obtain upon our graduation to Glory, will be where we begin there, in eternity; but make no mistake, these trials and tribulations that you are now experiencing are all a part of your destiny, and God’s specific plan for your life.

Whether you are where you are today because of bad decisions, and/or mistakes you have made; or because God is chastening you; or because it’s something you need to go through and experience before God can graduate you to the next level, it makes no difference… regardless of what your situation is and how you got here, every detail of our life has already been scrutinize and authorize by our Father in Heaven.

If you don’t understand this, and if you have relegated your God to live in a box where you can’t even imagine that what I just told you is reality, then your God is way too small… and I can tell you from personal experience, God will not live in anyone’s box!

On the contrary, if we wish to serve Him, and what an awesome privilege that is; then we must get on board with His program; so begin today by prayerfully reading and meditating upon His Word; and live each day with an increased awareness and sensitivity to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit.

Come with us, won’t you, if you haven’t already signed up… and join us in the adventure of a lifetime! 🙂

Have a wonderful day!

Shalom,

Skip Barland

—–Original Message—–
From: DAVID WILKERSON TODAY [mailto:no-reply@lists.worldchallenge.org]
Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 12:01 AM
To: devotions-en@lists.worldchallenge.org
Subject: WHERE DO YOU TURN FOR ENCOURAGEMENT?

WARNING DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! (To quote from a famous line taken from a popular 60’s TV program) 2 Timothy 3:1-9 Perilous Times and Perilous Men 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. Matthew 16:6~“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.’” 1 Timothy 4:1 ~ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. Jesus clearly said that it is the Holy Spirit who is the “great teacher,” which He said He would send to us, to lead us into all truth, and that He will bring to our remembrance everything that Jesus spoke about while He taught on earth. In my view there are many compromises in the church world today. I’d like to direct your attention to 2 Timothy 3:5, where we are told that Christians in the last days will have a form of godliness, meaning in other words, that they will be very religious, but that they would deny the POWER thereof! Anytime the Bible talks about “POWER,” as it relates to the Power of God, it is talking about the Holy Spirit; and this is what Jesus told His disciples about that: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with POWER from on high.” (Luke 24:49) I think if there is any one reason why the church of today, at least in the Western world has been so anemic, especially when you consider what we hear about happening in some of the third world countries today, where miracles are happening, the dead are being raised, and everything just like we read in the Bible, is happening today; but most importantly people are coming to the Lord in huge numbers, and in some places (like in Africa) it is not uncommon to have a million people receive the Lord at one service. Why is it that the 1st Century church was able to turn the world of their day upside down; and why is it that these things are happening also in our day, in other places, but not so much here in the West? In Mark 16:17-18 we read: “and these signs will follow those who believe in my name they will cast out demons they will speak in other tongues and… will heal the sick.” Earlier, in Mark 16:14, in a narrative where Jesus is again speaking to His disciples, He rebukes them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they refused to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen from the dead. Folks, this same myopic skepticism and unbelief is still prevalent in the church today, especially in our highly industrialized, intellectual culture that is found here in the West.  It is here that also many churches are denying the POWER! The Bible speaks of the church of the first century, and tells us how the disciples went out and preached the Gospel message and signs and wonders followed their preaching, as evidence to the unbelievers of their day to pay attention that this message is from the living God. Do we not still need that same evidence in our day? Of course we do; and the reason is, people are just the same today, as many were then… skeptical as ever; and it was because of the supernatural manifestations of the Spirit, in miracle signs and wonders that made the difference! Today the church, for the most part in the West, has attempted to preach a “Seeker Friendly,” more intellectualized Gospel, and in the absence of the supernatural, and signs and wonders, in many cases they have been reduced to marketing the message of the Gospel using Madison Avenue techniques, that are common in the secular world. The only problem has been, and this is true in some of the cults, when it comes to the church competing with some of these organizations, using these worldly techniques, we often find that the cults even do a better job at marketing and making their message more relevant to the needs of the people they are preaching to. This was never what God intended for the Church; and for the church of today to reject the supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit, is to cause it to be virtually powerless to do the world that God has called us to do. I don’t care who you are, you aren’t going to go over into these unreached pockets of people around the world and win them by impressing them with your intellect. Missionaries have done this for years, and they did a good work in that they laid the groundwork and foundations for later generations; but it wasn’t until the POWER of God showed up that people really started getting saved in large numbers, and that was because of the signs and wonders that were all very obviously being displayed These manifestations are God’s visible and irrefutable endorsement that the message that is being preached is real, that it is from Him… and that the people who are hearing it had better pay attention! Unless the church of today has that same power backing them up, in ministry, they may be very sincere and also saved; but nevertheless, when it comes to reaching the masses, they are ineffective! For the church to attempt to do anything without the POWER of the Holy Spirit to back them up; and without the supernatural Gifts of the Spirit in operation, it is like trying to send our troops to the front lines, to fight a war, without any weapons; or like a carpenter trying to do his work with no tools. In each of these two examples, without the weapons and tools, all you can do is talk; and Satan and his demons are not in any way threatened, impressed, and nor are they intimidated by OUR words… but the Bible says they tremble at the mention of the name of Jesus! What the church has drifted away from, in their effort to make the Gospel message more appealing, and have subsequently taken out talking about the Blood and sin; and then they have also said that the Gifts of the Spirit, and miracles are not for today, all of this is the reason why so many of the Western Mainline denominations and churches are so empty today, and are dwindling today in their numbers. My suggestion to anyone today, who is out there trying to make a difference, and is attempting to do God’s work, is do it exactly the way Jesus taught and exemplified in His earthly ministry. This is especially needful and important, especially in these days and times, with all that we are facing; and what we know (from the Bible) will soon be coming upon the world, it is imparative that we ALL be endued with this POWER from on High, and walk in it; that we not be like the five foolish virgins, mentioned in the New Testament, who had their vessels empty of oil… a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  Selah Shalom, Skip Barland

Getting ready for war!!!

Below is an excellent devotion for many of us today.

Whatever you are facing, God’s battle plan is always intended to put the Sword in your hand, in order that you may do battle!

Don’t wait for God to come and do it for you.

For us to gain the victory, in whatever we are facing, we must first recognize that Christ has already won our victory over ALL our battles at Calvary’s Cross… and when Jesus said it was finished, He meant just that!

However that doesn’t mean you won’t have a battle to fight and that Satan will just roll over for you and play dead… not at all!

In fact quite the opposite will happen, as the enemy, as many of you I am sure already know, will pull out all stops, and literally fight you tooth and nail, toothless as he is, but nevertheless a very good bluffer; who will give you every reason why, in the natural, through your circumstances and your feelings, why you are going to lose, or your sickness will get worse, or you won’t be able to pay your bills, or you name it… but it’s all a lie!

The challenge for us is which report are we going to believe and except as truth? Our life experience teaches us one thing, and that is to trust what we’ve always trusted, and have been taught to trust all of our life, and that is our own perception, and our understanding of the way we perceive our circumstances to be, without the benefit of what God has to say!

God’s way for us to deal with these battles is to first consult the Operations Manual, the Bible, for direction and wisdom, and get your council from God first!.

Having done that, we then begin to meditate on whatever promises we find in God’s Word that speaks to our situation; and then having found those promises, we then begin to pray and supplicate, and do what the old timers call “Pray Through; at which point when we know that we know that our prayers are heard, and that we have our answer, then we begin to thank God, in advance of any sight/sense evidence that anything has changed, and we remain there until the answer comes.

Now in this process, the enemy, your natural man, your flesh, your mind, your aunts, your uncles, and most all your friends and family, will all say you are nuts, and that this is impossible; and therein is the rub, or the test if you will, which God has ordained for us… in order to build up our faith muscles and teach us how to win victory over the enemy of our soul, in whatever battles we fight!

The enemy will use every possible method to discourage your faith and your optimism; and he will do this all in order to try and get you to quit; but that is the time to hang tight, and don’t you dare give up… and don’t let yourself get melancholy and discouraged either!

So here again is the battle plan: go to the Word first; find a promise there that matches your situation or need; then use that Word, even as Jesus did in the wilderness, as you Sword, in order to battle the enemy; and most importantly keep your armor on; which armor starts with our helmet of salvation; our breastplate of righteousness and our belt of truth; then having our feet shod in the gospel of peace, we go into battle with our shield of faith held up, out in front of us!

You must maintain this position until your answer comes; and most importantly, don’t forget the thanksgiving and praising part of the battle; as was exemplified for us in the Bible, as it was always the tribe of Judah (meaning praise), who would lead Israel into the battle; and  they did so while literally playing their instruments and singing their praises unto God, right out in front no less, in the battlefield. Selah.

So let us go and do likewise! 🙂

Shalom,

Skip Barland

From: CFAITH Online [mailto:newsletters@lists.cfaith.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2010 3:00 AM
To: theskipper@cox.net
Subject: CFAITH Daily Devotion

Pick Up Your Sword

By Kenneth Copeland

“But thou, O man of God…fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:11-12).

When you’re up against the wall, don’t start begging God to break through it for you. That’s not the way He works. He’ll give you the plan. He’ll give you the power. And He’ll guarantee the victory. But your hand, not His own, is the instrument He’s going to use to get the job done.

You’re going to have to stretch forth your hand by speaking and acting on the Word, even when circumstances are against you.

God gave me a striking revelation of that over 30 years ago through a vision He gave me in Beaumont, Texas. I was preparing to minister in a service there, spending some time in prayer, when suddenly I saw myself standing in the pulpit of the church. Looking up, I saw a dragon – a horrible, ugly thing – poke his head through the front door of the church.

As he came into the church, his body expanded like a balloon, filling the whole room. He was snorting fire and smoke. When, in the vision, he turned it on me, he almost burned my clothes!

As I fell back onto the floor, I saw Jesus standing nearby with a sword in His hand. Why doesn’t He do something about this? I thought. Can’t He see I’m hurting?

But He didn’t move. He just stood by with a frown on His face. I could tell He was really put out with me.

The Bible says God was not pleased with those who were overthrown in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:5). And He wasn’t pleased with me either as I lay there on my back in defeat.

Then Jesus held out the sword to me and pointed at the dragon. The look on His face said, Get up!

I reached up to catch hold of the sword and an instant before I touched it, Jesus turned it loose.

The sword stayed in midair of its own accord. I grabbed it and began to pull myself up. Not only did it hold firm, but it began to lift me!

I stood and touched the dragon’s chin with my sword and it split him from one end to the other. It laid him open right before my eyes. In amazement, I looked down at the sword. Why haven’t I used this before? I thought.

Don’t wait for God to slay the dragon in your life. You have the sword of the spirit, the all-powerful Word of the Living God, at your fingertips. Pick it up and use it today!

Scripture Reading: Joshua 11:5-23

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Life is all about learning to deal with the impossible!

The Bible tells us that NOTHING is impossible with God; and today’s lesson starts off by telling a story about a bit of history, that was once perceived to be an impossible situation (see below); that later turned out not to be impossible at all.

In life, it would seem, that we are often faced with situations and problems that seem well beyond our control, or ability to manage, or even put up with; and so consequently, during these times we are asked in scripture to trust in God.

Our problem always seems to be that our “believer mechanism” always seems to malfunction; which happens to be that part of us that God has given to each one of us, as a measure of faith, that is in fact, at least in part, how we are created in God’s image and likeness.

Perhaps it is because we have been infected with something called sin, that has skewed our spiritual understanding and perception of true reality, as it exists; and it has also unfortunately (as we know from scripture) severed our connection with our Creator.

Problem is, without that connection intact, we are ALL hopelessly loss and totally unsuited for this life; and owed to our separation from our Source of Life, we all are like fish out of the water, floundering on the beach of life, trying to survive.

So then what is the Solution?

Well for that we have but to consult the Manufacture’s “Owner’s Manual” for life (which is called the Bible) for instructions.

The problem is most people, mostly with guys (I’m sad to say, being one myself), but also women too, we normally don’t like reading instructions; and so therefore we end up at an awful disadvantage, and also we have inadvertently handicapped ourselves more than we know, by trying to figure life out all by ourselves, through trial and error… and mostly error, I might add!

Oh, what needless pain and suffering could be avoided, if only we would first decide to read and apply the owner’s Manual, for instructions in how to navigate through life.

So here we are today, facing another 24 hour opportunity to learn, and for most, unfortunately, it will be wasted; for others it will be a continuation of yesterday’s problems and difficulties; and for still others they can look forward to a brand new set of challenges… but regardless, suffice it to say, we all are dealing with something.

What most don’t understand is that all of life’s problems, in our trials and tribulations, including all those problems we think are so impossible, ALL of it is a setup, folks; a setup that has been designed and choreographed specifically for each one of us, before we were even born, and as the Bible tells us, even before God laid the foundation for the world.

Our lives, whether we realize it or not, were all preplanned; and we all were created and came equipped with a pre-established destiny and purpose, that is specific to who we are; howbeit, the Instruction Manual plainly tells us that it requires our cooperation and faith to implement it… and it will not be implemented without that happening.

That is where we come in, because God has designed our lives, as was illustrated in the life of Jesus, to be an extension of His own, and for us to operate in total unison and sync with God the Holy Spirit; and to the extent we fail to do this, is what the Bible calls sin… and so hence we have a Savior.

So today’s exercise, for all of us, is to cease viewing life solely through the eyes of the world and our limited skewed understanding of it; and begin to push out the outer limits of our preconceived and self-imposed limitations; and begin to see things through the inspiration and revelation of the Spirit, who lives inside of us, that is based not upon our understanding, or lack of same; but rather it is founded upon what God has promised us in His Word.

We need to understand this one point, that the only way any of us will fail to win this race, called life, is if we quit; for the prize that awaits us will not be given for crossing the finish line first, as we are accustom to; but rather it is given for having persevered and having not quit; and having remained in faith.

So that is our assignment today, should we each choose to accept it; to face today’s challenges with new insight and vision, and boldly go where we possible were afraid to go before.

Let us cast our lives completely and totally into hands of the Man from Galilee; who stilled the waters, with but a word; who raised the dead; fed the multitude; and walked on water; who also is our example to follow, in all things having to do with life. Selah

Shalom,

Skip Barland

From: RBC Ministries [mailto:donotreply@rbc.org]
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 9:08 PM
To: theskipper@cox.net
Subject: Our Daily Bread — May 29, 2010

The telegram read:

“Ship sunk, I alone am saved”

I dare say that many of you have heard this song before, as it is a classic; but how many of you have ever heard the story behind it; and the circumstances that caused it to be written?

Horatio Spafford was born on October 20^th, 1828 in North Troy, New York. He was a successful lawyer in Chicago, and was a personal friend with the famous Evangelist Dwight L. Moody.

You’ve heard the saying when it rains it pours, well listen to what happened to this man.

First of all, it was sometime prior to 1871, and the Spafford family loss their only son due to illness.

Then there was this huge fire in Chicago, perhaps you’ve heard of it, it was called the “Chicago Fire.”

Horatio and Dwight L. Moody were close friends; and being also a very committed Christian, he had wanted to surprise his friend, as Moody was overseas in Europe ministering; and so he had purchased considerable properties along the lake front, that was to be used for the Moody ministry.

Well the Chicago fire literally devastated the entire city, and it completely wiped him out.

It was now two years after the fire, and the Spafford family had planned a vacation to Europe, to help ease the pain after the loss of his son, and also his property.

However on the day they were to depart, Spafford had a last minute business meeting, and had to stay behind in Chicago. It had something to do with the city sorting out the loss of property due to the fire; and finding out who owed what.

Anyway, not wanting to disappoint his family, he sent his wife and four daughters on ahead, and the plan was that he was going to join them later, after he had completed his business.

So he saw them off, and loaded his family on the S.S. Ville du Harvre, and was expecting to join them in just a few days; but on November 22^nd, the S.S. Ville du Harvre was struck by another ship, an English vessel, called the Lockearn, and the ship with his wife and daughters on it sank in just a few minutes.

After the survivors were finally landed in Cardiff, Wales, Spafford’s wife cabled her husband with the news, “All was loss, and I alone am saved.”

Shortly afterwards, Spafford boarded another vessel to join his wife; and on the way, as they were passing by the spot where the ship had sunk, where his four daughters had drowned, he happened to have a pen in his hand and he penned the words to this song, It is Well with My Soul.

It is noteworthy that though heartbroken over the loss of his son; then there was the fire and loss of property; and now all four of his daughters are gone, due to this tragic accident, even after suffering all this loss, Spafford was still able to find solace and comfort in the knowledge that truly God was in control; and though surely he and his wife grieved bitterly over their loss, they nevertheless placed their faith and trust in God, that He would somehow, as He promises for all of us, work this too out for their good.

So truly they could say, as we also can say, when life happens to us, and we suffer loss… that God is still on His throne, and we also can say, with Horatio Spafford that it is “Well with my soul.” Selah

Shalom,

Skip Barland

From: RBC Ministries [mailto:donotreply@rbc.org]
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 9:16 PM
To: theskipper@cox.net
Subject: Our Daily Bread — May 28, 2010

John 1:1

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

As we study our Bible we find that God exists in three individual persons, which the Church calls the “Trinity,” or the “Three in One.”

There’s God the Father, God the Son (Logos—Word), and God the Holy Spirit.

The Bible goes on to tell us that it was through the Living Word of God (Jesus Christ) that ALL things have been made, in heaven and earth.

Now this is how I interpret and understand how the God Head works: first there is God the Father; and all the plans, visions, and strategies of the God Head originate in Him; and as the Bible says, all things that have been created have been created by the Word of His mouth.

Then there is God the Son, who is Jesus (Yeshua, the Christ—Messiah), who as the Living Word of God, who goes out from the Father in order to implement the creative thoughts, plans, purposes, intent, and instructions of the Father; and then it is God the Holy Spirit who is the Power Source behind it all, and it is His job to make it all happen, and it is He who also holds it all together!

Then God said, “Let Us make man in OUR image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So then God created man (Adam) in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28

As far as I can tell from scripture, Adam was the epitome of God’s creation (the best); and the first and only of God’s creation to be made after His likeness, and in His image; and then Jesus (Yeshua) turns around, and is Himself born of a virgin, into God’s Creation, and as the only begotten Son of God, He himself becomes a man, a part of His own creation. How cool is that!!!

The Bible then says of Jesus: “Who, being in the very nature God, He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; but He made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, in being made in the likeness of man.” (Phil 2:6-7)

The Bible tells us that even the angels bend over in wonder and amazement at what God is doing here, with His new creation, Adam, who is himself a son of God; and in Romans 8 we are told that all of creation now waits in eager expectation for the “Sons of God” (Adam and his descendants) to be revealed.

The Bible goes on to tell us that subsequent to the fall of man, all of creation has now been subjected to God’s curse; and now waits with eager hope, as it looks forward to the day when it will join with God’s children, these sons and daughters of Adam, in the glorious freedom from death and decay!

For ever since that time, when Adam fell, all of creation has been groaning, even as in the pains of childbirth, right up to the present time.

Now we, as Believers, who are the descendants of Adam, we also groan, even though we have been given the Holy Spirit within us, as a foretaste, or deposit if you will, of the future glory that awaits us; after which our bodies shall also be released from sin, death, and suffering.

So likewise we, as Christians, also wait with eager hope for that day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies that He has promised us.

Also as Christians, our labor is that we must enter into God’s rest, and live by faith, because after having been given this hope wherein we are saved, based upon the promises of God’s Word, we now look forward, in hope, for something we don’t yet have; and so we now have to wait patiently and confidently for its fulfillment.

This waiting, or resting, in the promises of God (our resting in Jesus) is what FAITH is all about; and as we are told in Hebrews 11:6, it is not until we have made this absolute trusting and reliance upon God, and in the promises of His Word, a part of our everyday lifestyle, are we actually pleasing to God… and it even says it is IMPOSSIBLE for us to please God until we are living by faith.

Therein is the rub for ALL of us, as this living by faith business is not easy; because it entails our casting the whole of our lives, and all of our circumstances upon nothing more than the promises that we find in God’s Word.

This requires our putting our FAITH, our reliance and trust, upon something for which the Bible calls the substance of our faith, which is our hope; which means we are believing God for things that cannot yet be seen or felt in the natural; but nevertheless must be received as real… as we are looking upon, and speaking of those things that are not, as though they were, as did our Father Abraham!

Our children typically get there with no big problem, and normally by nature they are very trusting; but we, as adults, are a different story, in that, even though we all started out as children, something happened along the way… called life, and things changed.

In order for us now to avail ourselves of this new life in God, and receive and benefit from all His promises, we must first die to ourselves, because that is the only way that we can totally relinquish this kind of absolute trust in God, and be pleasing to Him… and therein is the point of it all!

For we have been created for His pleasure. Selah

Here is how it works:

Matthew 16:24-27

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Therefore… go forth and do likewise, and have a blessed day! 🙂

Shalom,

Skip Barland

—–Original Message—–
From: DAVID WILKERSON TODAY
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:01 AM
To: devotions-en@lists.worldchallenge.org
Subject: GOD’S PROMISED REST

The Bible is very clear that prayer is two-way conversation; and is no more than our having a conversation with God; and since we are told to do it unceasingly, obviously it entails more listening, than it does talking.

Prayer is NOT just about telling God our needs, either; and besides, Jesus said that God already knows what things we have need of.

Now that’s not to say we aren’t to pray about our needs, because the Bible tells us we are; but only that we keep our priorities in order, and make sure that we are seeking God’s Kingdom first, and His righteousness (His ways and means of doing things); and then Jesus said, when we do this, then all these other things, which we have need of (and which God already knows about) will be added unto us.

Prayer is also not about our telling God what He needs to do, and our giving Him our advice and instructions; but rather prayer is about our aligning ourselves and syncing our spirit man up with the Holy Spirit; and our tapping into the mind of God!

Prayer is about getting our instructions from God, in all wisdom and knowledge, and even revelation.

This wisdom and knowledge that is being made available to us, if we would but take the time to spend with God, in order to get it, it would save us so much time; make us more money; and keep us from much unnecessary pain and sufferings.

It is the wise man who has learned that time spent with God, in prayer, pays back in huge dividends, to all who avail themselves of it; and do so regularly… like every day, 24/7.

This prayer business is very important, and it is very serious too.

God has given us each also a prayer language; and I just heard a minister of a huge church, locally, say that tongues were not for today.

His view was that tongues were only a tool to speak to other people, as happened on the Day of Pentecost, so that others could understand what was being spoken; and he completely ignores the part where Paul talks about how, when you pray in tongues, in your prayer language, in your prayer closet, which is different from what this minister is talking about, that you are edified, and strengthen, and built up in the Holy Spirit.

This prayer language that God has given to us is but another tool which God has given to the church, to enable us to tap into His supernatural power and wisdom; and if we fail to avail ourselves of this practice, then it is we who suffer needlessly. Selah

Shalom,

Skip Barland

When all else fails, and you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!!!

God is still on His throne, and these trials that you think are going to destroy you have come only to make you strong, and teach you how to trust, and live by faith.

The above message and the one below are being sent your way to encourage you to not give up; but to turn your focus to the one who gave His ALL and paid the price for your victory over death, hell, and the grave.

There is truly no weapon that is formed against you that shall prosper, if you are in Christ; and as the Bible says, if you love Him and are called according to His purpose, then God’s promise is to enter into every situation of your life and work it together for your good. Selah

So Chill… things aren’t as bad as you thought after all, for truly who can be against us, if God is on our side.

Shalom,

Skip Barland

From: Norman
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:28 PM
To: Skip Barland
Subject: An Unexpected Visitor

In God We Trust

HAD AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR THIS MORNING. HE ARRIVED EARLY, SAT DOWN WITH ME AND CHATTED FOR A WHILE ABOUT HOW THINGS WERE CURRENTLY GOING FOR ME IN MY LIFE. HE STOOD UP, WALKED OVER TO ME, LEANED OVER AND GENTLY HELD ME FOR AWHILE. THEN, AFTER REASSURING ME NOT TO WORRY, THAT EVERYTHING WOULD WORK OUT FOR ME AND BE JUST FINE, HE ASKED ME IF I KNEW OF ANYONE ELSE THAT COULD USE A VISIT FROM HIM. I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF YOU MY FRIEND. I GAVE HIM YOUR NAME AND TOLD HIM WHERE YOU LIVED. HE GAVE ME ANOTHER REASSURING HUG, THANKED ME AND I WALKED WITH HIM TO MY FRONT DOOR. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO YOUR PLACE. When He gets to your PC, escort Him to the next stop. Please don’t allow Him to sleep on your PC.. The message He is carrying is very important and needs to go around. I asked him to bless you and yours with peace, happiness and abundance. Say a prayer and then pass Him on to bless others as I sent him on to bless you. Our assignment is to spread love, respect and kindness throughout the world. Have a blessed day and touch somebody’s life today as hopefully I have touched your life. He’s walking around the world via e-mail!! Please pass it on so He can get there…. When you forward this site on

Trust in Jesus!

As Christians, we are instructed in the Bible to walk by faith, and not by sight!

Whereas children seem to do this by nature, and thus Jesus said that unless we become as children, ourselves, in this respect, then we won’t experience, and nor will we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3).

The truth is, it seems the older we get, the less resilient we are to change; and the more we have been beat up by life, and have suffered because of it, the less likely we are to trust others… and this all too often even includes God.

What Oswald Chambers is saying here, about letting go of our perceived rights and trust God to make a decision for us, reminds me of the story of the man who was mountain climbing, using only his hands, and as he had scaled up the side of this precipice, and was many 100’s of feet up in the air, he lost his grip and slipped.

Fortunate enough, he was able to reach out and grab a hold of a branch that was protruding from the side of the rock; or else if he hadn’t, he would have fallen to certain death!

Not being a religious man, and not having developed a relationship with God yet, like many of us, before we we were saved, he only prayed when he got into trouble.

These being one of those times, with him now literally hanging between life and death, and with no one else is around… in his desperation, he cries out to God for help!

He says God, “Are you there?“

And God says, “Yes, I am here.“

He then yells, “God can you help me?“

To which God says, “Yes, I can help you.“

“What must I do?“, said the man.

God said…. “Let go!“

To which the man responded… “Is there anyone else up there?“

Sometimes, this is the case with many of us, where we find ourselves in positions where we don’t know what to do or where to turn; and God is telling us also to “Let go, and let God!“

There is no easy way to do this, other than to just let go, and trust God to keep His word.

We are told in 1 John 5:14: “This is the confidence we have: that if we ask anything according to his will, then we know that he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—in whatever we ask—then we know that we have what we have asked of him.”

We first need to base our faith upon some promise in God’s Word, and then we have to trust Him to bring it to pass.

As long as we continue to sit on the fence of indecision, we are then double-minded, and James says let not that man think that he will receive anything from God. Selah

Sufficient to say, this faith walk is easier said than done… and so it pays for us to learn to faithe (or to trust God) in the smaller trials, before we are faced with something more serious… that sometimes can mean the difference between life and death!

As Andrae’ Crouch put it: “Through it All, I learned to Trust in Jesus!” Selah

Shalom,

Skip Barland

God’s solution to whatever troubles you today, to whatever battles you are fighting; and that’s regardless of whatever you may be feeling is keeping you separated from God.

Know this, God has not left you; and the reason you can know that this is true is because God has promised us, in His Word, that He will never leave us, nor forsake us; but the truth is, there are times when we may have left Him, and have sought after other things.

God’s solution is clear, and this applies to all of us… return to your FIRST LOVE!

Remember from whence you have come; when you first began, in your walk with the Lord, and return to that simple childlike faith again, that is all trusting and expecting.

Have a sense of expectancy about yourself, in your relationship with your Abba Father, as you base your confidence on the promises of His Word; and begin today to put into practice Psalms 100:4, and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

We must go on the offensive, in our battle strategy, and not always be retreating, and allowing the enemy to keep us up against the ropes, in our battles; in the fears and doubts that he has put upon us.

Don’t let these fiery darts of fear and doubt take root in your thinking; and do not meditate upon them, and don’t give place to them in your life!

Stop meditating on your circumstances and problems, and the hopelessness of it all, as you see it with the eyes of your understanding; and instead, begin today… by turning to your Bible, and find a promise of God that deals with your situation, and begin to see those things, and begin to speak of those things that are not yet visible in the natural, through the eyes of your faith (as you place your faith in God’s Word); and begin, today and right now, to see and speak of those things that are not, as though they are!

Let us do as Abraham did, who is our example, who is called the father of faith; and let us learn from him, and do as he did, when he was given a promise by God that was impossible in the natural.

Taking our cue from father Abraham, here’s our God given battle plan:

Romans 4:16-25 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁶Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants–not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all.

¹⁷As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.^(A)

¹⁸[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.^(B)

¹⁹He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb.^(C)

²⁰No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, ²¹Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

²²That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

²³But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone,

²⁴But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

²⁵Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our ^[a]acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God]. Selah

So today, take up the Sword of the Spirit, and prepare yourself for battle; and put on your entire battle armor that you may be prepared for what awaits you in the battles you will face today.

The Bible says that we are more than conquerors through Christ, who loves us; through the work and the battles that He has already fought for us, and better yet, has already won for us!

The enemy is already defeated, and God has taken from him any ability to do us arm; but he plays a pretty good bluffing game; and we must be prepared… for the battleground begins in our mind, in our perception, in our attitude, and our understanding!

That’s why we are told in Proverbs 3:6 to “Trust in the Lord with ALL our heart, and lean NOT upon our own understanding!”

Then we are told, after having done that, begin to acknowledge Him in ALL of your ways, and then He will direct your path!

The enemy has no power over us, but such as we give to him; and we may defeat him as long as we will stand in faith, in that Name that is above all names, in the Name of Jesus Christ; and in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Let us begin today to lay hold of His promises, and apply them to our situations, our problems, and our trials.

This is the strategy which God has ordained for us; and if we are not following His instructions, as found in the Bible, then it is we who must change!

That change starts with our repenting, which means literally to change the why we think!

So go forth into your day today, with the knowledge of who you are, in Christ; and who it is that you represent; even as Jesus said that: “All power is available to Him, in heaven and in earth,” so we are to go forth in His name, and in His POWER… to do the work He has called us to do!”

Remembering always that His banner over us is LOVE!

Shalom,

Skip Barland

From: Homer Owen [mailto:homer-owen@sbcglobal.net]

Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 4:00 AM
To: Skip Barland
Subject: Overwhelmed