Tag: fear

Knowing Joseph

On By josephbarlowIn TeachingLeave a comment

Exodus 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 being 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 that 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.

Rest

On By josephbarlowIn JournalLeave a comment

Did you know it takes patience to rest?

I’m on a sabbatical right now and when you are used to doing, doing, doing then rest is not an easy process to yield to.

Resting is a process.

It allows your body, mind and soul to do things that couldn’t happen while you were so busy.

Activity inhibits some critical processes. Rest is not really rest in the truest form, it’s simply a change of processes.

Constant activity requires your body to stay in a constant state of defensiveness so that you can continue uninterrupted in your constant busyness. But this constant state of defense requires that other processes be reduced in their priority. Some never happen. Some healing processes never happen when we stay busy.

Rest is where you tell your body, “I’m going to slow down now and give you time to catch up, heal, regroup, re-assess, regenerate, reinvigorate.” There’s so much work that needs to be done inside us. If we think it’s unimportant we will never give time to it. Rest is more important than we know.

Did you know it takes faith to rest?

I know there is a God.

I know that I am not Him.

I know He’s bigger than me, more capable, more loving.

I know that He knows that I need rest.

So within His creation, His system, He has made room for me to rest, time for me to take a break.

When I rest I must trust Him for all the things that I was relying on myself for.

I must rest. He is good. He will take care of all those things. I need not worry. I need not fear. God is good. Good night! Time to rest.

Transition: By Natalie Barlow

On By josephbarlowIn Family, Father, Journal, TeachingLeave a comment

You know that feeling when you’re at the top of a roller coaster? You’ve gone up the steep incline, you see the exhilarating drop that is about to come, you’re nervous, excited, scared out of your mind, ecstatic, and peace seems like it’s completely out of your reach. It’s transition time. Yeah, that’s pretty much where life has been at lately… moving out of the home 3 months ago, getting engaged 2 months ago, most of the girls that I’ve mentored have gone off to college, so God has begun to bring new ones, my family is on a Sabbatical from ministry for the first time ever, I’m running the church with the rest of the team while they’re gone, and my brother just moved to California today. I feel so many things right now. Some good, some not so good. It’s not a common occurrence for me to just feel emotions but I know it’s a healthy time to do so. So here’s my processing. 

I miss my family. It’s finally been setting in that I’m an adult, living away from home, times with the family are no longer consistent, goodbyes have become more difficult and it’s really rough when I think about the fact that I won’t get to be a part of the daily life at home, watching my siblings grow up, and hearing and seeing every ridiculous and adorable thing that they do. Yet at the same time, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I love living on my own. Times with the family are now more intentional and “full”. My roommates are wonderful, no crazy stories here! I’m so blessed by each one of them… they are a true gift from God and I love doing life with them.

I’m so thankful to have the greatest fiancé in the world. For real, I know I talk about him a lot, but I will never fully be able to express the love and appreciation that I have for Danny. I’m so blessed to do life alongside this man, he challenges me, cares for me, he knows me. They say to be loved is to be known. I have never felt more known by somebody in my entire life, and yet loved so fully. Last night I finally let the tears flow, this week has been full of a lot of heavy things and big changes with my family and friends, and as I cried, he sat there and chose to just “be” with me. And after my face was swollen and I had used about 20 tissues, he then encouraged me in who I was, in the season I’m in, I think he saw that I was fearing the drop on this roller coaster, that I was looking at all the scary things that could happen, yet, he grabbed my hand, told me that we’re in this together, and showed me that this new season is good, that it’s okay to face reality, it’s a big change, but none of these changes are bad…they’re actually some of the most wonderful things that could happen! I began to realize that peace isn’t out of my reach.

It talks in the Bible about how God gives us a peace that passes all understanding. The truth is, that’s what I need right now. There’s uncertainty, there’s sadness, there’s joy, there’s fear, there’s heaviness, there’s A LOT of change, and it’s easy to think I have to carry all of this, but when I take a step back and look at it all, I see that His plans are good and they’re not supposed to weigh me down. All those negative things I feel are just feelings. They don’t define truth. They don’t define my life. It’s okay for me to identify that they’re there, but the minute that I step into letting fear control me, is the minute that I resist the peace that He has for me…and that’s all I truly want right now, so why hold on to fear? Why hold on to doubt and uncertainty when I could let go of those things and grab on to peace?! The peace that passes all understanding, it’s mine, and I choose to operate in this peace that allows me to throw my hands in the air, smile and laugh and enjoy the ride. Bring on that drop, I’m ready for this roller coaster!

Living Free From The Fear Of Death

On By josephbarlowIn Politics, TeachingLeave a comment

A FEW WEEKS AGO I SPOKE AT CHURCH ABOUT LIVING WITHOUT FEAR OF DEATH. I THOUGHT I WOULD UNFOLD A FEW THOUGHTS FOR YOU HERE THAT MIGHT HELP:

I GAVE MY LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS OLD, I GOT FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AT AGE 13, BUT BECAUSE OF BAD THEOLOGY AND LACK OF TEACHING THERE WAS A VOID IN MY LIFE. YOU SEE I HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. I PRAYED REGULARLY, GOT INTO THE WORD NOT AS REGULAR, WENT TO CHURCH AS MUCH AS I COULD, I WAS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND HAD WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPENING IN MY LIFE, EVEN HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD ON OCCASION AND ALSO AS I JOURNALED,  BUT I KNEW NOTHING OF ANY ETERNAL ASSURANCE. I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING WHEN I DIED. WHEN I WAS 19 I BEGAN TO HEAR THE WORD PREACHED ON A REGULAR BASIS. IN MY OLD CHURCH THEY WOULD READ THE SCRIPTURES BUT NO ONE HAD ANY REAL UNDERSTANDING OF THEM. AT THE NEW CHURCH THERE WAS TEACHING COMING FROM THE PULPIT THAT REALLY MADE ME COME ALIVE. I FOUND OUT THAT FOR A CHRISTIAN, A CHILD OF GOD, HEAVEN IS PROMISED. ITS NOT A ‘WAIT AND SEE’ PROPOSITION. I WAS ASTOUNDED, REALLY AMAZED; NOT ONLY DID I GET THIS GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT I GOT TO GO TO HEAVEN TOO.

KNOWING WHERE YOU’RE GOING

ONCE YOU KNOW YOUR ETERNAL DESTINATION, YOU’RE NOT JUST HOPING NOW, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS TAUGHT IT TO YOU INTERNALLY THEN YOU COME INTO A PLACE WHERE A BASE FEAR, A PRIMORDIAL FEAR CAN BE RELEASED. THE FEAR OF DEATH IS A HAUNTING THING. BUT WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT’S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DEATH’S DOOR THEN IT DOESN’T LOOK SO DAUNTING.

NOW SELF-PRESERVATION IS A BASE INSTINCT. WE HAVE A NATURAL, BUILT-IN TENDENCY TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO STAY ALIVE. THIS IS GOOD AND WONDERFUL. BUT THE FEAR OF DEATH GIVES PLACE TO SOME RATIONAL FEARS AND SOME IRRATIONAL.

WHY SO AFRAID?

MOST PEOPLE ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY CAN SEE WITH THEIR PHYSICAL EYES. HEAVEN IS NOT A REALITY TO THEM SO THEY MUST HANG ON TO THE ONLY REALITY THEY KNOW. DEATH IS A DOOR WAY THAT LEADS TO ETERNITY. OBVIOUSLY ITS A PRETTY BIG QUESTION: DID YOU GET YOUR ETERNAL ACCOMMODATIONS WORKED OUT? IF YOU DIDN’T THERE IS A DEFAULT BUT ITS NOT HEAVEN. IF YOU HAVEN’T CHOSEN JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOUR AND GIVEN THE LORDSHIP OF YOUR LIFE OVER TO HIM THEN I RECOMMEND YOU DO. IF YOU HAVEN’T, YOU HAVE GREAT REASON TO FEAR DEATH, BECAUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DEATH’S DOOR IS ETERNAL JUDGMENT. BUT IF YOU’VE GOT THIS ETERNITY QUESTION WORKED OUT THEN DEATH SHOULD BE AVOIDED BUT NOT FEARED.

Knowing Joseph

On By josephbarlowIn Encouragement, Ministry, TeachingLeave a comment
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.

Jesus Satisfies Like No Other Can

On By josephbarlowIn Encouragement, JournalLeave a comment

Tithing does not affect your salvation, but it may affect how you live.

Let’s get our eyes off being wealthy and fix our eyes on Jesus.
Fall in love with Him—not prosperity.
Jesus satisfies like no other can.
If you love money it has you.
If you love Jesus, money can’t hold you.
We must not pursue wealth—no matter what!
Jesus is our financier.

If I pursue Jesus—He’ll make me wealthy.
But it won’t matter to me; I’ll be faithful because He is faithful.

Be strong and powerful in your job.
Wherever God has you right now be a blessing to them.
God’s blessings will flow through you.
Let it all flow through love!

Tithing can be bondage.
Does it come from your heart or are you doing it because you have to?
Are you doing it because you are afraid?
Love me with your money! That’s where the blessing is!