[Music] Welcome to Call to Freedom with Barbara Carmack. This is Jimmy Lakey and I’m delighted that you are joining us for this half hour. You can reach Call to Freedom at box 370-367 Denver, Colorado 802-37 or by going to the website at www.freedomstreet.org. If you want to leave a message or order a word-powered daily reading Bible guide or a Freedom Street Express newsletter, you can call us toll-free at 1-877-917-7256 and leave your name and address including your zip code. If you want to talk to Barbara right now, she is expecting your call. You may call that same toll-free number 1-877-917-7256 to speak to her. And now, let’s join Barbara in the studio. Welcome to Call to Freedom. Wow, as I look at my calendar, I’m sure you do the same thing. Wow, it’s just a little bit here and we’re in Thanksgiving this last weekend. I know I started to put out Christmas things because by the time I get through traveling to Broken Arrow and then back, it’s going to be December. And so much going on. Oh, God bless you as you prepare for the holidays as you prepare for the birth of our Lord Jesus. Oh, maybe a joyful time for you. That’s what I wish for you. A joyful time, a joyful season for you because there are so many things that are happening just smile and let the sunshine in. This morning I was walking to the office. The office is connected to my home and the sun just shown, you know, the leaves are almost all gone. The sun just shown through the tree and, “Oh, I was singing, oh, let the sun shine in. Face it with a grin.” And it’s wonderful to know that when we smile, we face life with a grin, you know, those frowns. They don’t do anything good for us. In fact, you know, the frowns on our face cause wrinkles. So make sure you smile and feel the love of God in your heart. Oh, it’s just so wonderful to know Him, isn’t it? Let’s do the Monday Bible slogan. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I do what it tells me to do. This is my Bible. It has given me new life. It is the Word of God. Praise the Lord. It is the Word. The love letter of God to you. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone. Answer everyone with a gracious answer. You are blessed to dispense for in Him you live and move and have your being. And I have, yeah, I’ve lowered the power packs to the original price. I know it costs money, but I’m just allowing my CPA Holy Spirit to get the, the, all the bottom line for this done. And we don’t care about profit here. We just care about ministry. So the, the, the binder, the acrylic binder are $10. And the power pack and the cassette tape case is five. So you might be thinking of some Christmas things or even things to do around the table at Thanksgiving. They have some wonderful praise, affirmations and also verses of scripture at the back of the power pack to help you in your time with growing, growing with Him and maturing in Him. It’s just a wonderful thing to have. My memory verse for this week, I picked it. It’s an Ezekiel and you think, oh, how can anything good come out of the Ezekiel? I know there are a lot of chapters of God just going over the idolatry and over it again and again and again. And you’re going, when is this going to come to an end? And it does, oh, it does because God is giving us a promise and Ezekiel 11. Ezekiel 11. I’m almost there. Ezekiel 11, 19 through 20. And I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh. Those are those stubborn, obnoxious people that you don’t think will ever know Jesus. Yep, he’s wooing them. He’s bringing them into the fold, give them a heart of flesh so that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them. Then you will be my people and I shall be your God. Mmmh, hallelujah. Oh, he is our God today. In the message translation, Ezekiel 11, 18 through 20 says, “You’ll come back and clean house, throw out all the rotten images and obscene idols.” Yep, some of us are cleaning house. I’ll give you a new heart. I’ll put a new spirit in you. I’ll cut out your stone heart and replace it with a red-blooded firm-muscled heart. That’s what I’m praying for you. Red-blooded firm-muscled heart. No cardiovascular problems here, friend. Then you’ll obey my statutes and be careful to obey my commands. You’ll be my people. I’ll be your God. Oh, praise the Lord. In the last two weeks, I hadn’t talked about the great work that Samaritans purses doing around the world. I really appreciate those of you who gave to call to freedom, to send on to Franklin Graham. Those of you who went directly to Samaritans purses to help them, thank you so much. It’s just a wonderful organization. I got a report of their tremendous work, especially in Northwest North Carolina. They have enlisted National Guard Chinooks and Black Hawks and several private helicopters, which have made 358 flights into 17 mountainous counties in North Carolina and Tennessee, delivering tons of emergency supplies to people stranded by washed out roads. I mean, the roads weren’t even passable, so they had to do by either horse or donkey or helicopters. This became the largest civilian airlift in U.S. history. Just imagine. I mean, we’re almost 300 years old, but just think this is the largest civilian airlift in U.S. history. Over 30,000 orange-shirted volunteers came. 30,000. Some of these towns weren’t more than maybe 5 or 10,000. And 30,000 people converged on those communities, all with orange shirts. The beautiful photos of them came to cut trees, shovel mounds of mud, tarp up roofs, and prey with survivors. Many have gone back to damaged but livable homes that have no heat or lights or running water. And that’s why Samaritan Purse has already given out 3,800 generators, 5,700 heaters, and 13,000 blankets, thousands of warm coats because the snow has already fallen in these valleys. Among the 11 lost in Yancey County were four members of a family, four members who fled the Ukraine to seek a more peaceful and wonderful free country, and found a peaceful home site on the banks of the Toe River, which had 31 inches of rain in the hurricane aftermath. Anna Huibi watched helplessly as the river swallowed up a trailer housing her mother. Oh, I can’t imagine. Her mother, her sister, her brother-in-law, and 13-year-old nephew. I just can’t imagine watching your loved ones floating away and you can’t do anything. Then the flood surged into her hillside home and forced her family to flee to higher ground. Chaplain’s working alongside Samaritan Purse comforted Anna or could be Anna as a volunteer’s cleaned out her house to get it ready for reconstruction. There are so many stories like Anna’s who were helpless in rescuing their families. One father described how he and his sons watched from a vehicle as their home was swept away. In the midst of the danger he shared the gospel with his youngest son, oh, I’m sure he did, who prayed to receive Jesus as his savior. The storm took everything the father said, but my son found Jesus. Hallelujah. I want to thank those of you who sent in donations for this terrible calamity. God is doing so much for his people right now and we must not get complacent or apathetic about others in need. God bless you for your giving into the kingdom of God and even places locally like rescue mission. God bless you for your people and give into those places. If you’ve got food on the table every night, you can give. If you’ve got a warm home, you can give. If you’ve got gas in your vehicle and are able to pay your bills, you can give. I watched enough football yesterday. Yes, I did. Oh, my goodness. So much going on. To see that the majority of pro players are Trump supporters. Yes, it seems like everyone is hooked on the Trump dance. He has brought about a national phenomenon and it puts a smile on my face. It really does. In fact, I’ve practiced it in my own home. Trump dance. Oh, yesterday as I was watching David Jeremiah, I was reminded of this segment on Fox the other day. There was a segment on Fox and I believe it was on Hannity. I had just walked out of the TV room to get something and I heard David Jeremiah speaking about the coming golden age. I thought to myself, I have Fox on. How can David Jeremiah be speaking with the Fox Hannity on? And then it dawned on me that just a week before President Trump had mentioned the coming golden age, a phrase taken directly from David Jeremiah’s sermon because he’s got a new book on the coming golden age. God is orchestrating a miracle, miracle here, folks. Be encouraged at what is taking place on a global level and it’s not climate change. It’s God doing something in these last days or just, “Ah, it’s just taking our breath away.” That’s why I want to speak to you about the opportunity we have in running the race with joy of the peace and the prize that is awaiting us who believe and trust in God’s way of doing things. Because Jesus for the joy set before Him endured the cross. So why shouldn’t we have joy in our hearts today? Oh, wow. I just really believe that we need to be the most happy and joyful people on this planet. And throughout the whole New Testament, the Christian life is compared to a race. With that in mind, we need to realize that it’s not a short sprint, but a long distance run. Sometimes as we are participating in this race, we can grow discouraged by circumstances or by what others say to us. Or about us, about me, man, I did a stupid thing the other day. Well, we got a look up. We got a look up to what Jesus did. And He gave us a new life so that we wouldn’t backtrack and go back to our problems, back to our failures, back to the things we did wrong, because we all did. And just as a successful runner must keep his eyes on the prize, we too must remember what this race is all about. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Cory Tenboom, a Dutch Christian who survived the horrors of Hitler’s concentration camps during World War II, often said, “Look within and be depressed. Look without and be distressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest. I’m going to say that again. Oh, God bless you, Cory Tenboom. Oh, she was a wonderful, wonderful woman. Look within and be depressed. Look without and be distressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest. God will see us through to the end. He has given us His Word. And I am certain that God who began a good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. And that’s Philippians 1-6. I say that about so many of you who give your donations to call to freedom. Yes, I pray over your checks and your money orders and some of you who send cash. I am so grateful. The thief has not stolen in years and years and years in the post office. And I’m so grateful. God is keeping that post office box safe and protected in Jesus name. I was reading Psalm 21 the other day from the message. And it just so inspired me. I thought you might be interested in listening to what the message says of Psalm 91. You who sit down in God Almighty’s presence. Spend the night in L. Shadyshe shadow. Say this. God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I am safe. That’s right. He rescue you. Zoo from hidden traps. Shields you from deadly hazards. His huge, outstretched arms protect you. Under them, you’re perfectly safe. His arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing. That’s right. Verse 5 says, “Fear nothing. Not wild wolves in the night. Not flying arrows in the day. Not disease that prowls through the darkness. Not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left. No harm will even graze you.” Wow, that sounds like Luke 10, 19, doesn’t it? Nothing shall harm you. Behold, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall harm you. That’s Luke 10, 19. Psalm 91 goes on to say, “You’ll stand untouched. Watch it from a distance. You’ll stand untouched. Watch it from a distance. It reminds me of the article that I read from Samaritans purses about the families who just watched. Watch their houses going down the rivers. Totally destroyed. You’ll stand untouched. Watch it from a distance. Watch the wicked turn into corpses.” And this is verse 9 of Psalm 91. “Yes, because God’s your refuge. Your very own home. Evil can’t get close to you. Harm can’t get through the door.” And verse 11, “So many of you know, verse 11 of Psalm 91. He ordered his angels to guard over you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you. Their job is to keep you from falling. They’re all ministering servants. Spirit, center ender, service to you.” And that’s Hebrews 1 verse 14, “You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes and kick young lions and serpents from the path. God says, “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life, I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care. If you’ll only get to know and trust me. I’ll give you the best of care. If you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer. I’ll be at your side.” In bad times, I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. Yes, yay. I’ll give you a long life and give you a long drink of salvation. As long as some of you are on this earth, my friend, he will give you that long drink of salvation. He will be your protector and your guide through every phase of your life. One thing that God repeats over and over again is that he won’t let the devil get near you to harm you in any way. As long as you put your trust in him, yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even when the way goes through the death valley. I haven’t been through death valley, but some people have. They say, “Wow, it is really hot in the summer and hard to walk through.” But some have walked through it. Even though the way goes through death valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. You know that rod and my staff? Well, that’s the shepherd’s crook. Even when you’re on the ledge, it just grabs you by the neck and pulls you back. He knows the devil is trying to get to you one way or another. But as long as you trust in God, he will never fail you in his love and faithfulness. No matter how long we live, this earthly life is still a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. As Moses looked back over his life on this earth, he may have had a secret sin that was on his mind, the sin of watching a fellow Hebrew being beaten and is committing murder to avenge the beating. Moses mentions God’s wrath several times in Psalm 90. And in the Old Testament, punishment was what the perpetrator looked forward to. If you murdered, if you did things that were evil in the Old Testament, you were punished. Now look at David. He committed a sin and he committed murder. He committed adultery and murder. And yet God was so merciful toward him as he was toward Moses. So sometimes when we, not sometimes, I’m saying all the time when you trust in God, when you put your trust in him, he’s going to keep you from harm, my friend. We all start out sinners. And when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, he takes away the old sinful nature and gives us a new heart and a new identity. It just takes some of us longer to realize what Christ has done for us. Yes, it really does. It takes us a lot longer. And it’s taken me a long time, friend, but I’m here. I’m here and I’m realizing what our Lord Jesus did for us. Second Corinthians 517 tells us if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. He has a new spirit. And that’s what the scripture for this week is all about. He’s giving you a new heart, a fresh heart, a fleshly heart. He’s taken that old, stony heart out of your spirit. And that’s Ezekiel 11 verse 19. Old things have passed away. That’s the old Garden of Eden sin. That’s gone. That old oppressive spirit has gone. And now you’re a new creation. All things have become new. And as I said before, it takes some of us a long time to realize what Jesus did and is doing for us. But we’re getting it. We’re getting it. God gives us faith through Jesus. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life that I live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Oh, he is the one, friend. Oh, how we love him. He is the one. He took us from being broken, from being lost. And he showed us the way. Here’s Keith Green. [Music] I love you. You are the one. You are the one. I love you. You are the one for me. I was so lost. But you showed the way. Because you are the way I was. So lost. But you showed the way to me. Oh, how I love you. You are the one. You are the one. I love you. You are the one for me. I was lied to. But you told the truth. Because you are the truth. I was lied to. But you showed the truth to me. Oh, how I love you. You are the one. You are the one. I love you. You are the one for me. I was lying. But you gave me life. Because you are the lie. But you showed the lie. But you showed the lie. And you gave me life for me. Oh, how I love you. You are the one. You are the one. I love you. You are the one. God’s risen sun. You are the one for me. Oh, how I love you. You are the one. You are the one. I love you. You are the one for me. Oh, how I love you. You are the one. You are the one. I love you. You are the one for me. Oh, it’s a beautiful song. Absolutely beautiful song. Love to sing it often. And here we can show our friends that Jesus is the way the truth and the life. That’s what Keith Green built this song on. You are the one. You are the way. You are the truth and you are the life. John 336 tells us that he who believes in the sun has everlasting life. And he who does not believe the sun shall not see life. Oh, and we want life for our friends, don’t we? As we prepare for the Christmas holiday and Thanksgiving, we want to show our friends mercy and grace. Oh, I know some of their snide remarks and some of the things that are going on. You just want to get back at them. But we need to just step aside, take a breath and say, Father God, thank you for grace. Thank you for mercy and help me to show grace and mercy to the ones I love. And what a blessed assurance to know that every mile of the way in this life, God is merciful. And he wants us to be merciful. His love reaches from age to age. Our faithful father graciously showers our days with mercy and love. Jeremiah wrote a beautiful verse and we it was our verse last week, Lamentations 322 and 23 through the Lord’s mercies. We are not consumed because his compassion’s fail not they are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness. Great is your faithfulness. Oh, Lord, as I crawl out of bed every morning. I say, Oh, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it because your mercies are new every morning, Lord. I can look at a new blackboard. Remember, well, I used to do the blackboard clean off the blackboard. Yes, I was a special child in class. Okay, Barbara, today you clean off the blackboard. Oh, good, good. So I would clean off that blackboard until there was nothing left. But places where the teacher could give us new subtraction and addition problems and new sentence structure. Oh, through our God. Oh, we they his mercies and his compassion’s they fail not. So although our mile markers are measured in years, we must live every day fully and completely and thralled with Jesus. We never finish learning more about God’s love and mercy. Life is precious and each day is a valuable gift from God. Jonathan Edwards, the great 18th century theologian, desired to make the most of his time and ask God daily stamp eternity on my eyeballs. Okay, stamp eternity on my eyeballs. Yes, father, I want to be so close to you every minute of every day that you are all my eyeballs see as. Cory, 10 boom had said you know when we look outside, we don’t see anything we get distressed. We got to look to Jesus and he will give us that rest. So between Jonathan Edwards and Cory, 10 boom, we’re going to look with joy at our world and we’re going to look at the Lord Jesus. Yes, father, I want to be so close to you every minute of every day that you are all my eyeballs see. Well, I’ve reached my three score and almost 10 and I’m looking for better days ahead. I’m not getting older. I’m getting better and life before 50 is only a warm up. We can take those negative thoughts and turn them around. We can cast down and throw away all that junk that comes flowing through our brains and say, no, I cast down every evil and vain imagination and every lofty thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. And I take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Yes, that’s what we can do. We can say, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live not I, but Christ lives in me and the life that I live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me. And it is such a wonderful thing to know that He so loved the world, including you and me that He gave His only begotten Son. The Lord Jesus who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. Can you imagine that? The joy set before Him. So we can go through these days joyful and happy and we can even do a trump dance. Yes, we can learn to do that trump dance. It was so wonderful. It was so fun to see the football players yesterday doing the trump dance after they made the touchdowns. It was just a joy. In fact, I think I laughed out loud at a couple of three of them trying to do that. God bless you and keep you. I’m looking forward to this week of being with you and take joy, my friend. Take joy. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]
