We're With You In The Fox Hole - A CALL TO PRAY

My friends we have a battle on our hands ... One of the great men of the faith in our time and our missionary to South America - Robert and Karyn Barriger are in a battle and we who are in covenant with them need to step up and fight along side them.

Here's a copy of their email sent to me ...

To our church family worldwide, and close friends,

Last Friday afternoon, Karyn went to see a doctor to have a few checkups done, and the news that we got back was not good. Apparently they discovered that she has an advanced stage of breast cancer, and are having more tests done to see if it has spread to other areas of her body. She is taking this like a hero of faith. The nurses and doctors were very surprised as she testified of God’s love and faithfulness to them in the midst of receiving this news. The peace she has during this time is amazing. As for me and the kids, we’re still working through the emotions, but we’re getting better.

Because the doctors want to do more tests and get her into treatment quickly, we decided to go away for a week to pray, and reflect on which steps to take. During this time, Karyn and I will be doing one of her most favorite things in the world to do, shop for the grand kids. She will have a blog up soon for those of you who want to keep up with her and this new faith challenge that we are facing. But more than anything, we ask for your prayers.

I feel this is possibly just another thing to side track us from what the Lord is doing in Peru. Over the weekend, as we shared the news with our congregation in each of the services, and as I ministered, at times it felt like a train hit me. Yet, by the end of the service, dozens of people were coming forward to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. We are moving forward with the ministry here, and continue to believe that we will be able to purchase our building in the next few weeks. I believe God is big enough to do two miracles for us! Even now, we just found out that the President of Peru has called in some of Peru’s best doctors to oversee Karyn’s case. Amazing.

Please pray with us.

He is our Lord, and we love and appreciate our church family and friends.

In Him,

Robert Barriger

Paul Cole who is a friend said something today that made me think,

"Covenant is always about warfare"

When you are in a covenant with someone, you're in the fight with them. It may get bloody, it may get intense but you are "with them" because there's a covenant thing going on. There's no time for second thoughts or vasilating with opinions. When those that you walk in covenant with face a battle, it's not just their battle but it's our battle too. My wife and I have an expression. "Devil, you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us", We're stronger together then we are apart. It's about covenant, and covenant people fight together and win together.

DAVID, THE COVENANT MAN

David was a covenant man. He was in covenant with God. He cared about what God cared about. He was moved for the state of Israel [God's covenant people] and then there was Goliath and the Philistine army who had picked a fight with them. David must have said in his heart ... "I'm in a covenant with You God and when you pick a fight with God you pick a fight with me, when you pick a fight with God's people, you pick a fight with me"

17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 17:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield [went] before him. 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 17:44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 17:46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

1 Samuel 17:40-47 KJV

David was a warrior, he was radical and sold out. He had the spirit of an uncaged lion. When it was time to fight, it was time to fight. His enemies did not want to fight this guy. They said he was crazy [touched in the head / chaffed in the mind]. They said he was like a female bear that had been robbed of her cubs. Wow, what dedication, what focus, what passion. Because it was the covenant with God that drove him. He was bothered by the things that bothered God.

17:8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

2 Samuel 17:8 KJV

and then again in,

17:10 And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which [be] with him [are] valiant men.

2 Samuel 17:10 KJV

We stand with Robert and Karyn, we fight boldly, we curse sickness and cancer. We stir ourselves as David did and get right in the middle of this thing with them, right in their fox hole. They are not alone in this ... How dare the enemies of God defy the armies of God or the people of God. We've got to see this thing right. We do not fight with fleshly weapons but with spiritual weapons that are mighty through God. We do not fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. We need to know that we are God's special forces and we are anointed for this.

10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV

6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

Ephesians 6:10-12 KJV

Brother's and sisters stand together with us, get right in the fox hole, get to praying, get to fasting, get to faithing. We we're made for this, our DNA is that of a warriors and winners. We are covenant people and covenant partners together with them.

42:13 The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.

Isaiah 42:13 KJV

Blessings to you all!

The Voice of Faith

Psalm 106:12 (KJV) ¹² Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

Acts 16:25-26 (KJV) ²⁵ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. ²⁶ And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

Yesterday I talked about practicing faith right in the middle of the fire. Right in the middle of difficulties. We need to practice living for God no matter what we face. It’s acutally these fires of difficulties that reveal faith in God or faith in stuff.

FAITH HAS A VOICE

Someone said, faith is a fact and faith is an act. In the book of James it says, faith without works is dead [James 2:17] … in another words faith has corresponding actions that prove we really believe God’s promises. If there’s no belieivng actions it’s dead faith or what I would call no faith at all. If we are not doers of the Word [God’s Promises] we are not walking in faith. Faith speaks up, faith has actions, faith praises God in the middle of a prison cell, faith must move out and do something or it’s not faith.

Paul and Silas had faith, they demonstrated their faith by first praying, they bowed their heart, they asked God for help and finally they began to sing praises right in the middle of death row. When you and I really believe we will move out into a realm where God is trusted and glorified. When we really believe God is put in His rightful place as Savior and Lord.

God did so many great miracles throughout the history of the nation of Israel yet they backed off from God. They started looking at what they didn’t have and their lusts consumed them. They even despised God’s provision. We have to learn from them. There hearts were materialsitic and self seeking just like America today and the sin of Mammon [materialism].

Psalm 106:12-14 (KJV) ¹² Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. ¹³ They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: ¹⁴ But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

and then again in …

Psalm 106:24-25 (KJV) ²⁴ Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: ²⁵ But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.

If it could happen to them it can happen to you and me … we must practice the doing of the Word so we become doers of the Word. Praising God in the middle of difficulty is simply against our natural makeup. But we are not just natural creatures. We are first and foremost spiritual creatures. We are born again, born of the Spirit, born from above. We must practice spiritual living. So the prime action of faith is that of speaking and praising God. We look to God first, in fact when you understand the power of the sacrifice of praise you will want to do it all the time. Praise is a sacrifice many times because it does not cater to the pull of the flesh [you know, Mr. EMO]. The power of the sacrifice of praise is that when we do it we are taking authority over the flesh and operate in an awesome trust in Almighty God.

The voice of faith says, Father, you are my Father and I believe you over what’s hppening all around me. You are my good Father that takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants and that would be me. We take our harps back off the willow tree and begin to sing the songs of Zion even though we are in a strange and uncomfortable land.

Psalm 137:1-6 (KJV) ¹ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. ² We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. ³ For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. ⁴ How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?
⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. ⁶ If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

The Lord is our chief joy, the Lord is our song, the Lord is our Savior no matter if everything is uncomfortable and strange. It’s time to stop being comfort seekers and start taking our harps back and sing the songs of praise right in the faces of our captors. Faith has a voice and it praises God right in the middle of tough times.

Who's Your Provider?

Well the days are here when you are going to have to use your faith. Your faith will be challenged up ahead and that's OK.

1Pe 1:7 AMP So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.

Your faith will be on trial and that's good. Good for two reasons ... 1) It will show you what you've got, showing you the depth and reality of the faith you have and ... 2) God gets praised and glorified when you use your faith. With your faith, you can honor the Master.

Heb 11:6 KJV But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Psa 106:12 KJV Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

When you truly believe God [when you have bible faith in God], which is trusting in God over emotions, over fear, over what you see with your eyes. Here's a good one, when you trust God over what the numbers say, you know, the checking account. When you crunch the numbers and it doesn't LOOK good.

When you have faith in God over the circumstances a song of praise goes up before God. The highest level of faith is when you are tested and you choose to believe and sing the song of praise to the Lord because He is your savior in "every" case. When you can sing praise to God because you believe Him and His words over the situation. When it gets hot, when the difficulty meter rises and you choose to believe the promises of God, God gets glorified, God gets touched, God may even get a little bit misty because His heart is touched. His heart is touched because there's power in the Word of God [Heb 4:12;Rom 1:16,17] and He knows His Word is the way out, His Word / Promises ... are His provisions to help us out of any and all problems. The Word is explosively powerful. When you trust His Word, you trust His provision, When you trust His Word, you trust your Father. When you trust Him as a Father, He feels like a Father. He is your Father and He is your provider and He has provided His Word and His Spirit to lead you out.

So when you're in the middle of the fire, when you're in the middle of difficulty do you look for the stuff first? You know, do you look for the money, the materials, the method so you can work it out in the flesh? Or do you look to your provider first, do you look to the promises of God and start thanking Him that He already knows we have need before we even ask?

Mat 6:31-33 KJV Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

GOD IS YOUR PROVIDER

I believe you and I need to start practicing right now how we are going to act when the fires of trial come. So that when difficulties come and they do come to all of us it is not some strange thing to us but rather we do not miss a beat and just start praising God because He is our provider, He sees all, but faith in God in the middle of the heat causes great praise to ascend to God and God is moved as we are moved.

Who's Your Provider?

What or whom do you praise first? What do you exalt first?

The "Right Side" of Fear

Isaiah 41:10 (KJV) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I went online this morning and the first thing I saw was that the world markets are in a panic. Great fear is gripping the world. The wheels are coming off this thing, the world system is in a panic because it's foundation is broken my friends. But I wanted to encourage the faithful today. Fear can either kill you or it can bless you. There is a "right side" of fear.

Proverbs 29:25 (KJV) The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Proverbs 19:23 (KJV) The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Again, there "is" a right side of fear. Put your confidence in God. He is your life, He is your Father, He is a good Father, like it says, how much more will He give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. [Luke 11:13]. He hears you and answers you but I find most people do not know how to receive from Him. Most are professionals on the side of telling God about their needs, their desires, etc. But I find that's not where the problem lies. It's on the receiving end. We need to believe He really does love us and will take care of us and then activate our faith by agreeing with Him. Start saying, thank you Lord, I believe you are taking care of me. Thank you Lord, the answer is on it's way, I can't wait to see what you have for me because I know you love me.

1John 4:18-19 (KJV) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (19) We love him, because he first loved us.

Hasn't He [the Lord] demonstrated to us that He loves us? We need to silence the demonic voices of fear. This
is the "wrong side" of fear, which has torment. If the enemy can get you into torment, he can whip you. You'll lose every time when emotions work you. You are not called to be EMO. You are called to glorify God. You are called to be a sign and a wonder so that others can see the good works of your Father which is in heaven.

2Timothy 1:7 (KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Look at how it is said in the Amplified Bible ...

2Timothy 1:7 (The Amplifiled Bible) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven
and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

NO FEAR! God did not give you fear, the tormenting kind. But what He did give you is the ability to withstand, He gave you "a spirit of power", that's a spirit of might [the Greek word is dunamis, which means powerful might, it's same word we get dynamite from] ... it's an explosive power to emlimate the enmies before us. You are an overcomer, God said so.

The wrong side of fear is an enemy, it's a killer. But you also loved. [He's in love with you, He's given you a spirit of love, He wraps his loving arms around you every day]. But many times you don't sense it. You don't know it ... but it's true. God loves you and will take care of you. The problem you and I face is self, not the devil [we give him too much credit], not difficulties but self.

God has given you the ability to take control over that self mindset. You CAN have control over your emotions becasue He has given you a well-balanced, self-controlled and disciplined mind. You have the mind of Christ working in you [1 Co 2:16].

You don't have to be on the wrong side of fear, the tormenting side but you can be on the "right side" that honors God, that loves God, that respects, that believes and trusts Him right through difficult times.

While the world is falling apart and on the wrong side of fear, I'm going to fear the Lord. I am going to believe
He is good, He is great, He is awesome. I'm going to believe that God is right in all cases and that He loves me and takes care of me because He is a good Father.

Psalm 34:9 (KJV) ⁹ O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Holy Spirit - Celebrated or Tolerated?

God goes where He is celebrated not where He is tolerated!

Mark 6:4-6 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. (5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Have you ever heard of the saying, familiarity breeds contempt? Well, this sure looks like what happened here. Those who saw Jesus grow up in the flesh. They saw Him as a boy, in their eyes they had limited the work God could do in a person. There was no honor for Him, no real faith in their midst and as a result, no mighty work done. Jesus even marveled in [amazed by] the state of their unbelief.

We are to know no man after the flesh [2 Co 5:16] or in another words, we are not to become familiar with others. We are not to see them as just a natural being but a supernatural, God anointed believer who can make a world of difference because God is now in them and with them.

This familiarity can be in the church, among God's people and they don't even realize it. You can become familiar and religiously dead concerning the moving of God. That's why we need to celebrate and welcome the Holy Spirit among us.

The power of the Holy Spirit is needed so desperately today. In our lives, in the church, in our ministries, in our homes, in our society. We are in a time where psychology is just not getting it done. The mere words of men are falling to the ground and bearing no fruit. We need the big guns, we need the person of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus left us to be our comforter [John 16:7;14:26, which in the Greek is defined as our helper, He's the one that is called alongside of us to assist us in this life]. With the Holy Spirit comes power [Acts 1:8]. He's our teacher [John 14:16]. He's our guide [John 16:13], He leads us into truth because He is the Spirit of truth [John 15:26].

CELEBRATED OR TOLERATED?

I see people in church that just tolerate the things of God. They are the attenders. Sure, they show up and many of them are faithful. But there's no joy in their lives. If you saw them in society, you couldn't separate them from the rest of the crowd. They're tired looking, run down and easily offended. Most of them are just barely making it. But then there's another group and they celebrate the things of God, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God. They're hungry, happy, growing and brining disciples to Jesus. These are the ones that have allowed the Holy Spirit to touch them. They let Him guide them, teach them and even correct them. God's power is working in their lives, the grace of God is working in their families and it's a joyous thing to see them prosper. So what's the difference?

THE HUNGER FACTOR

John G. Lake who lived in the late 1800's and early 1900's made a statement that moves in me every time I read it.

Oh, if I had one gift, or one desire that I would bestow on you, more than all others, I would bestow upon you the hunger for God - John G. Lake

Hunger is the difference. Hunger for God, for His Holy Spirit, for the Word. We can have more if we will desire more. I mean, really desire, get desperate for so much so that it changes your course.

John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (38) He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (39) (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Thirst for the Holy Spirit, an attitude that celebrates Him. The word celebrate means to observe, commemorate with ceremonies or festivities. To make known publicly, proclaim. To praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice. Do you celebrate Him or tolerate Him? Do you really need Him to the point of making a place in your life, your home, your church where He wants to reside, where He wants to manifest Himself and show His might in whatever you do? He will come to you because He goes where He is wanted.

~ More to come ~

Others May: You Cannot

Others May: You Cannot
by G. D. Watson (1845-1924)

If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious He may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make YOUR REWARD TEN TIMES GREATER WHEN JESUS COMES.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an Infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in Jealous Love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Settle it forever, then that you are to DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this PECULIAR, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, JEALOUS GUARDIANSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OVER YOUR LIFE, then you will have found the vestibule of heaven.

Time To Hustle

Time, our most precious commodity or so we've heard. Inside every moment, every tick of the clock there is a choice. A choice how to live, how to make a difference in this world. We need to understand that life is either lived or it is slipping away. Got to choose life. Live for God, live for something that makes an eternal difference for somebody.

Over the last few weeks I've been watching our churches basketball teams. We have two of them. Two, because we have a lot of guys that want to play, want to fellowship and want to display their manliness. On one evening I was watching one of our teams and I noticed that our players were not as tall, maybe not as physical, etc, as the other team. But what they did possess was "hustle". They were passionate about their play, they payed attention to detail and were decisive in their execution of plays. I remembered the following scripture,

Ecc 9:10 [God's Word] Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with all your might, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or skill in the grave where you're going.

I have seen this all my life. People who may not have the greatest talent make a difference because of their "hustle". Maybe it's the David and Goliath type of thing. They may not have been gifted as well as someone else but they use what they've got. They make use of their abilities. They "hustle", they understand that even better teams can be conquered when they rise up and play with a greater passion.

Now, what if we as the church got together on this and "hustled" for God? I mean, really gave it our all? What could happen??? I asked this from one of the players and they said, you're right pastor. We need to hustle for God. We need to give it all we've got.

1Co 9:24-27 [New Living Translation] Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! (25) All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. (26) So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. (27) I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

So, run to win! Run to win souls, run to win people to Jesus, run to make an eternal difference in "this" life. Jesus gave it all and we can too. It's time to hustle!