Vengeance Is So Heavy
OVER A WEEK AGO I WAS TURNING LEFT IN FRONT OF THE GLEN ELLYN LIBRARY TO HEAD NORTH OVER THE TRACKS. I WAS WAITING WHILE THREE CARS WERE HEADING SOUTH TOWARD ME THEN TURNING RIGHT. THE LAST CAR LOOKED LIKE HE HAD HIS BLINKER ON SO I PULLED OUT TO TURN LEFT. AFTER I PULLED OUT HE SLOWED BECAUSE HE APPARENTLY WAS NOT PLANNING ON TURNING AND I WAS NOW IN HIS WAY. HE YELLED OUT THE WINDOW AT ME SOME UNREPEATABLE CURSE WORDS. WELL I’M NOT AROUND PEOPLE MUCH WHO TALK LIKE THAT SO THAT STUFF HURTS MY EARS; ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S DIRECTED AT ME. I THEN STARTED TO FEEL OFFENDED AND THE CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN MY BODY STARTED TO RISE UP WITH HOW TO HANDLE THIS. ALL KINDS OF IMAGINATIONS FLOODED MY HEAD. THEN I REMEMBERED THE SCRIPTURE VERSE THAT SAID, “BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU.” SO, I STARTED PRAYING FOR THIS GUY, TO BLESS HIM. I PRAYED THAT HE WOULD GET A RAISE IN HIS JOB AND MAYBE EVEN A PROMOTION AND THAT GOD WOULD BLESS HIS MARRIAGE AND FINANCES AND ALL HIS RELATIONSHIPS. THAT THE GOODNESS OF GOD WOULD OVERTAKE HIM. IT WAS SUCH A RELIEF TO TAKE THIS POSITION, BECAUSE BEFORE I THOUGHT OF THIS SCRIPTURE, SOME OF MY IMAGINATIONS TOWARD HIM WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE CLASSIFIED AS CHRISTIAN. LATER I REMEMBERED THE SCRIPTURE THAT SAYS, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT I REALIZED THE HEAVINESS OF THE BURDEN OF WANTING TO PAY THAT GUY BACK FOR YELLING CURSES AT ME. WHEN I COMPARE THAT TO THE LIGHT FEELING THAT I HAD WHEN I WAS PRAYING FOR BLESSINGS ON HIS LIFE THERE WAS A STARK CONTRAST. NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY GOD SAYS THAT VENGEANCE IS HIS. IT IS TOO HEAVY FOR US AS HUMANS TO CARRY IT. I LOVE GOD. HIS WISDOM REALLY MAKES THINGS EASIER.
Hang On To Your Favorite Scriptures
HEY FRIENDS, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A QUICK THOUGHT WITH YOU AS YOU’RE ATTEMPTING TO LEAD A GOOD LIFE. THERE ARE SAYINGS THAT GUIDE YOU AND SHAPE YOU. THERE ARE SCRIPTURES THAT FEED YOU AND KEEP YOU ON TRACK. THIS IS A JUST A QUICK REMINDER, GO BACK AND READ THOSE SAYINGS AND SCRIPTURES AGAIN. IT’S AMAZING HOW REFRESHING IT CAN BE. FOR ME, I LIKE TO JUST PAGE THROUGH MY BIBLE AND READ THE VERSES THAT I HAVE UNDERLINED. I ALSO LOVE TO READ THROUGH MY JOURNALS AND SEE WHAT SCRIPTURES I WROTE IN THERE AND WHAT SAYINGS I WROTE OR COPIED DOWN. VISITING THESE SAYINGS AND SCRIPTURES WILL FORTIFY YOU AGAIN, HELP YOU GET BACK ON TRACK OR STAY ON TRACK. IT MAY BE THE FUEL YOU NEED.
Lead Strong
Not everything you do is supposed to be met with rave reviews. You are called to listen to my voice and move forward with what I say. So hear me Son. You are obeying me. You are listening to me and seeking my will. You have found favor in my eyes. Continue with boldness. Don’t let what people say drag you down. You are mine. I am yours. Continue with the plan I’ve given you and don’t back down. Let the others conform to what I’ve given you, as the leader. I will test them through it. Son, I’m with you. Fear not. Be bold, confident, knowing that all of heaven is backing you up. And we are not weak. March forward right over the Devil’s forces. My power is manifest.
Be God’s Mouthpiece
Son, be at peace.
Allow my river to flow from your heart. Allow the words to be formed in your mouth that will be life and peace. Words that will be authority and bring structure and order. Shall you not be an oracle? You shall. This is your destiny. I must have a mouthpiece in the earth. The words must flow from my Spirit to your spirit, from your mouth to the ears of those who must hear. Its not only humans who must hear you speak, there are spirits, angelic and demonic who must hear your words. They must hear the sound that they’ve heard for ages past. The same sound, the same authority they’ve heard in heaven. They know and have heard that voice. They recognize the sound of faith as it comes forth into the earth. They have heard it much and they know the change it brings. They respect it. They must bow to it. Son be my mouthpiece. Speak what my Spirit gives you to speak. Speak. Speak. Speak!
Another Missions Trip – Here Comes Uganda!!!
Dear Friends,
Many of you remember that I went to Luxembourg and Liberia, West Africa a few years ago. That was a powerful trip. Several of you helped me to make that trip. Thank you.
Earlier this year, I met a young pastor from Uganda. My brother, Andrew, from Texas introduced us. It was a powerful meeting. I really sensed the Lord’s hand on it. In that meeting, he spoke of the Lord’s direction to him to have me come to Uganda, stay in his home, and minister in his church. I agreed to come.
I’m coupling this trip to Uganda with another trip to Luxembourg. Nancy will travel with me to Luxembourg; we’ll minister there for a week. She’ll then return home while I go on to Uganda.
The cost of travel can be high. In this case we’re paying for the cost of the flights, some hotel in transit, the cost of hotel in Luxembourg, and other incidentals. This comes out to several thousand dollars. If you are interested in helping by contributing to this trip, you can make a check payable to Joseph Barlow Ministries and send it to the address below or you can go online to my blog at www.josephbarlow.com and contribute through PayPal. These contributions are tax-deductible, you will receive a receipt at the end of the year for your taxes.We need to purchase these tickets by the end of the third week of October.
If you’re not able to help financially, please keep us in prayer, that the ministry would be very effective and that the pastors and churches where we minister will be strengthened.
God bless you & thanks for your support & help.
Pastor Joseph Barlow
Family Life Christian Center/Joseph Barlow Ministries
640 East St. Charles Road Suite 200
Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.familylife.cc
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Knowing Joseph
Ex. 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
To speak metaphorically:
“Knowing Joseph” could stand for the world being familiar with the anointing and importance of the gifts and abilities that rest on God’s children.
“Knowing Joseph” they would have been partakers of the saving graces that God can provide to the world through his church.
“Knowing Joseph” they would hold God’s children in reverence and awe with a reverent fear that behind these people was some omnipotent power whom they did not know personally but it seems that these people do know this power personally.
“Knowing not Joseph” led to bondage for the people of God, because the world feared them because they as a people seemed blessed for some reason.
When there was a man who wore the anointing and had been proven in integrity by fiery adversity, God was able to place a mantle of authority on him that He couldn’t on one untried and unproven.
Joseph was positioned by God and exalted in the eyes of the world because of his extraordinary (God-given) endowment of ability. His work made a marvelous impact on the world because his abilities were extraordinary. Through all this his integrity never crumbled, as was normal for the world. Joseph was a good man. The world knew it. God knew it. He could be relied upon. He was faithful. Thus “knowing Joseph” is a healthy thing for the world. It brings blessing and order. But there must be a Joseph available for the world to know.
Are you a “Joseph” or maybe a “Joseph in training”?
Are you being prepared to bring solutions into this earth that answer man’s deepest problems, not just sacred but secular?
God is looking for someone he can exalt. God is looking for a man who he can lift up into a position of prominence, strength and authority who will work blessings into the fabric of society. Could it be you? Could it be me?
Let’s submit to the training, the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Let’s allow the refiner to complete His work. Let us wait patiently as He lets us sit and wait for the proper timing and positioning of our target.
Ps. 127 says, “like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
Is. 49 says, “He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.”
Let God use you.
“Knowing Joseph” could stand for the world being familiar with the anointing and importance of the gifts and abilities that rest on God’s children.
“Knowing Joseph” they would have been partakers of the saving graces that God can provide to the world through his church.
“Knowing Joseph” they would hold God’s children in reverence and awe with a reverent fear that behind these people was some omnipotent power whom they did not know personally but it seems that these people do know this power personally.
“Knowing not Joseph” led to bondage for the people of God, because the world feared them because they as a people seemed blessed for some reason.
When there was a man who wore the anointing and had been proven in integrity by fiery adversity, God was able to place a mantle of authority on him that He couldn’t on one untried and unproven.
Joseph was positioned by God and exalted in the eyes of the world because of his extraordinary (God-given) endowment of ability. His work made a marvelous impact on the world because his abilities were extraordinary. Through all this his integrity never crumbled, as was normal for the world. Joseph was a good man. The world knew it. God knew it. He could be relied upon. He was faithful. Thus “knowing Joseph” is a healthy thing for the world. It brings blessing and order. But there must be a Joseph available for the world to know.
Are you a “Joseph” or maybe a “Joseph in training”?
Are you being prepared to bring solutions into this earth that answer man’s deepest problems, not just sacred but secular?
God is looking for someone he can exalt. God is looking for a man who he can lift up into a position of prominence, strength and authority who will work blessings into the fabric of society. Could it be you? Could it be me?
Let’s submit to the training, the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Let’s allow the refiner to complete His work. Let us wait patiently as He lets us sit and wait for the proper timing and positioning of our target.
Ps. 127 says, “like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
Is. 49 says, “He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.”
Let God use you.
The Holy War Rages On
The debate between Creationism and Evolutionism is a war of ideas where the victor’s spoil is great. As each idea’s adherents seek to champion their belief, the propagation of their idea over the other becomes the goal. They say it is science versus religion.
I say it is purely religion.
Those on the side of Creation believe what they believe because they want to believe it. They may have been presented with thoughts, teachings, scriptures then something they hear or see in those teachings matches what they see in the world around them. They see that there is a god who designed and built the world we live in.
Those who have chosen to reject the existence of God have sought to define a method for the development of the world we live in. Since they reject the existence of God they must reject any existence of intelligent design. To acknowledge intelligence in design requires the acknowledging the existence of God.
It seems that “scientists” come into the study of origins with a presupposition; they either come believing in the existence of God or disbelieving it. This presupposition predisposes them to an outcome of their study regardless of empirical data and scientific method.
If this predisposition that I propose is true then each side will manipulate, skew, distort and ignore whatever data or evidence does not match their predisposition.
We therefore have a war of religion: Creationism vs. Evolutionism!
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Time Goes On
The clock and this calendar are never going to stop! Until you do! But the hours, minutes and days of our life are precious! They are a gift from God. Lived with Him they are fruitful, enjoyable, strengthening and exciting. But please don’t attempt to live this life without Him. His desire is that you just open up your heart to Him. Acknowledge Him. Invite Him. Welcome Him to be a part of your day; a part of your life.
I remember when I was young, my Dad encouraging me, “you could have this, or you could have that” and I remember thinking, “Really?” But my Dad was right there assuring me that I could have those things that I desired yet seemed beyond my reach.
Our Heavenly Father is the same way. He brings the same encouragement as we allow Him a place in our lives. He will show you great and mighty things that you haven’t yet seen.
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV)
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Handhelds can become parasitic
Hey Friends,
I woke up this morning with the Lord talking to me. Here’s the journal entry:
You awaken my ear like one being taught.
Regarding handhelds & other electronics:
They can become parasitic
Jeremiah 2:6
This is what the Lord says
What fault did your fathers find in me
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
- Pay attention to what you need
- Pay attention to what you have
- Pay attention to what has you
- What do you focus on?
- What do you focus on the most?
- Is it life to you?
- Or does it take life from you?
Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years.
This is your life –
what will you spend it on?
Where your focus is – there your heart is.
Proverbs 17:24
A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,
But a fools eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 19:29
Stop listening to instruction, my son
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
Son, I will show you what life is:
Life is when you tap into me and knowledge, wisdom, love and healing begin to flow. Being one with me, spending time listening to my voice, reading my word & preparing your heart for service. This is life.
This multiplies and brings forth my abundance to you.
So walk with Me Son.
Let me lead, guide, direct.
Let me give you focus.
Focus your eyes on Me.
Through me you can see all I would have you see.
Through me, the wisdom you need is revealed.
Joseph Barlow 