Tag: love

Are You In The Flesh Or In The Spirit?

On By josephbarlowIn Encouragement, Journal, Ministry, TeachingLeave a comment

JUNE 9, 2020

Hey Friends,
Do you want to know whether you are in the flesh or in the Spirit?
Do you want to know if you are pleasing God or at war with Him?
You CAN know!

Years ago I came home from work and Nancy said, “You need to go into (one of our daughter)’s bedroom. She’s throwing a fit.” Before I walked in, I said, “Lord I don’t have anything. But I’m trusting you.” So, I walked in and said, “How ya doin’?”
She said “Terrible.”
Everything was wrong. To her this was a major crisis. It was some great injustice and her temper was totally justifiable in her eyes.
So I asked her a question:
“On a scale from one to ten, how are you doing in walking in love right now?”
She said zero.
I said, “Okay, how about Joy? One to ten, how are you doing?”
“Zero.”
“How about Peace?”
“Zero.”

I want through all nine fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22,23 and she rated herself a zero on every one of them.
I said, “Did you realize that, if you have a zero for each of those, then you’re walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit?”

I don’t remember what she said next, but I do remember the complete change in her attitude. The storm was passed by. She was no longer in emotional turmoil.

Through her finding out she was in the flesh, she was able to locate where she was emotionally and spiritually, where she wanted to be, and that it was her will that would get her there. She chose to walk in the Spirit and instantly received the reward of choosing to walk that way. She had peace, joy, love and all the rest.

So, friends, how are YOU doing?
Are you walking in the Spirit or the flesh?
On a scale of 1 to 10 rate yourself
How are you doing when it comes to walking in:

Love?
Joy?
Peace?
Patience?
Kindness?
Goodness?
Faithfulness?
Gentleness?
Self-control?

Romans 8:5-9 “For they that are according to the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh: but they that are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.”

You get to choose.
Love ya

LET LOVE WIN THE DAY

On By josephbarlowIn Encouragement, Ministry, Missions, TeachingLeave a comment

June 2020 JBM Newsletter

What a tumult!

What crazy times we are living in right here, right now.

Yet right now I’m sitting in my comfy chair, looking out the window at a pond with a fountain, the temperature is perfect, the breeze is blowing, the sunshine is beautiful, and I’m able to sit quietly and speak to my Creator. I’m able to read His Word, hear from Him, let Him know that I love Him and let Him speak to my heart. I write down what He says. Quietly I hear Him say:

My grace is increasing.

My grace is abounding.

Let love win the day.

You might think ‘Joe, you are so out of touch with what’s going on!’ And I would agree with you. I’ve spent a lot of time watching the news. I’ve spent a lot of time on Facebook, etc. trying to see what is going on and what wisdom is available. Are all of my friends OK? Is there any breakthrough? What kind of progress can I expect? How is this going to affect my family and our church and the future of our ministry? There are so many questions. So much concern. So many expressions of pain. So many accusations of guilt.

Friends, if you want to be effective you’ve got to get disconnected.

I heard a prophetic word where Jesus was coaxing someone to get alone with Him. He said, “Come apart before you come apart!”

The effective ones are the ones who have spoken with their Commanding Officer. Who have gotten their battle plans from the King. The ones who meet privately with the Creator God, be at peace and listen to His heart. These are the ones who are going to show up with a fresh word, an attitude that heals and refreshes. They are the ones who are going to bring joy back into its rightful place in our lives and in our world.

Friends, this is our day. He made it for us. Receive His love. Receive His comfort. Receive His healing. Be transformed by His love. Then just shine. You’ll know what to do.

Love ya,

Pastor Joe

God’s Sustaining Power

On By josephbarlowIn JournalLeave a comment

God has an amazing ability to keep us. When we endure so many trials and wonder how things are going to turn out, it’s amazing that His power is still there keeping us. He is so loving and faithful! Its not so much that He loves us, which He does, but He also wants to love others through us. For Him to do that, we need to survive and stay in place. In the Bible Paul calls us living stones; we are alive but we are put in place like a stone that’s used to build a wall. People being in the right position is a powerful thing.

This year Nancy & I will be pastoring for 10 years. We are still in position. We have had some wonderful times as pastors, but we have also had some very difficult times. Somehow God has been able to sustain us. He’s kept us alive. We haven’t missed a meal. We haven’t done everything right and there’s some things that we’d change if we could do it again, but God’s faithfulness is what deserves the real acknowledgement here. It’s God’s sustaining power. We would have been knocked out of this a long time ago, but God kept us here. He placed us here. He wants to love through us. His faithfulness to us is not just about His love for us. We’re confident of that. But His faithfulness and His sustaining power are also because God has a plan and a desire; He wants His representatives to be loving on His behalf. He wants those who will represent Him to be accurately in place.

There is such a huge wave of needy people and God’s heart’s desire is to envelope all of them with His love, His wisdom, His healing…all of His goodness. He must have people in place who will allow His love to come through. There are so many that are so hungry and needy for His love. He must have us in place.

He is the mortar that holds the living stones in place. When God gives you an assignment He wants you to stay there. The Devil will provide many opportunities for you to give up that assignment. But God will also provide His sustaining power. So many things pass before your eyes; so many problems that make staying in place look impossible. But staying in place is exactly what God wants us to do. His faithfulness is here to see you through, to help you and to keep you in place. If we focus on the problems then their chance of overcoming you increases. If you focus on God then His promise of surviving and thriving are yours.

Now when trials and storms come, remember that they don’t last. We don’t live in a constant storm. There are times of peace, hopefully sustained periods of peace. If you’re living in a constant storm, you may consider whether you are in God’s will or not, or you may consider that you might be missing a piece of wisdom for the way you are doing things. If you turn down a one way street going the wrong direction, you will face continuous opposition until you turn around. God has a place of peace for you; a place of productivity, of meaningful service, of significance and plenty.

Let God position you. Be faithful to Him. Let His faithfulness sustain you.

Handhelds can become parasitic

On By josephbarlowIn Encouragement, Journal, Teaching, Word From GodLeave a comment

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.

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!