Finding Peace and Gratitude in Trying Times

SPEAKER 01 : 0:09

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 370367, Denver, Colorado, 80237, or by going to the website at www.freedomstreet.org. Amen. Amen. Amen. 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.

SPEAKER 02 : 1:03

Welcome to Call to Freedom. Oh, friend, show that you are a billboard for Christ written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. And we’re going to talk about that from Ezekiel 11, 19 today, along with beautiful verse of scripture that my friend Jowton gave me, gave me. With her donation. Oh, Psalm 92, friend. Oh, and in the passion, it’s just beyond great. You can’t even describe it with words. I’m glad we’re going to have all the language we understand, but it’s not going to be English because English is so limited in its descriptive power. tones of describing all the beautiful things that God’s done. So I think the passion is probably the best, the closest to describing how we feel. And so I thank you for joining us today. I’m I’m really praying today that you will be safe and protected in your travels, if you’re going on the road as you’re traveling, because we want to be safe when we get to the relative’s house. And today, as I left my property, I saw several cars down the street that were loading up. They had luggage and everything and loading up the vehicle, and they’re going to be gone. So I’m praying for safety. I bless you in the mighty name of Jesus. to be safe in everything you do every minute of your day. It’s so important. Because I love you. I love you. Oh, you are blessed to dispense, for in him you live and move and have your being. And if you would like to listen to Call to Freedom programs, you can go to freedomstreet.org. You click on Resources, and there’s radio shows. And if Call to Freedom has been a blessing of learning the Word in a deeper way, having me yelling sometimes and challenging you, but you’re learning the Word of God. you can hit that donate button right there on the website and donate to Call to Freedom. Our memory verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 8, 9. For you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. Sometimes these Older translations are hard to quote, but they’re so beautiful. In the message, 2 Corinthians 8, 9 says, And remember, this is Paul speaking to the church in Corinth. Now do your best in this too. I’m not trying to order you around against your will, but by bringing in the enthusiasm of the Macedonians, these were Gentiles that gave so generously and freely to the church in Corinth. So I’m expecting you to do the same. It’s a stimulus to your love and your giving. I’m hoping to bring the best out of you. You are familiar with the generosity of our master, Jesus Christ, rich as he was. He gave it all away for us. In one stroke, he became poor, and we became rich. Before I get into some of the verses, the glorious verses in Ezekiel, and you can’t find a whole lot of them, but they are there. They’re just really right there, and you need to read the book of Ezekiel to find them. I got this beautiful… verse of scripture from jowton and thank you so much sister your precious friend and um some more and more i have seen that as you are sending in your donations to call to freedom and this is through the mail of course when you do it online you can you can have there’s a place where you can put scripture but i haven’t seen a whole lot of that but when you send your checks or your money orders There’s always little bits of scripture. And this is a scripture from my sister Joughton. And it’s from Psalm 92. I’m going to read the whole psalm. It’s just too good. It’s too good not to read the whole thing. And this is in the Passion Translation. It’s so enjoyable to come before you with uncontainable praises spilling forth from our hearts. How we love to sing our praises over and over to you, to the matchless God, high and exalted over all. At each and every sunrise, we will be thanking you for your kindness and your love. Where do we learn kindness and love? From our Father. As the sun sets and all through the night, we will keep proclaiming, You are so faithful. Verse 3 of Psalm 92 says, Melodies of praise will fill the air as every musical instrument joined with every heart overflows with worship. We’re seeing that more and more today. Colosseums being filled with people raising their hands and praising God. I’m so grateful for that. Verse 4 says, No wonder I’m so glad. I can’t keep it in. Lord, I’m shouting with glee over all you’ve done for all you’ve done for me. What mighty miracles in your power at work, just to name a few. Depths of purpose and layers of meaning saturate everything you do. And see, it’s saturating right into our hearts and giving meaning to our lives through Holy Spirit. I love verse 5 of Psalm 92. Such amazing mysteries are found within every miracle that nearly everyone seems to miss. Now, this is important as you continue to read the Word of God. That revelation knowledge will come pouring and saturating your own heart. But if you just bounce around like a ping pong ball and say, oh, some days I do it and some days I don’t, you’re not going to be getting deeper into the word of God. And that’s what you need to discover because God’s deep. Oh, so amazing mysteries are found within every miracle that nearly everyone seems to miss. Those with no discernment can never really discover the deep and glorious secrets hidden in your ways. In Isaiah 59, 9, God says to Isaiah, God’s thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not his ways, and we must learn God’s ways. Yes, get off of our stubborn streaks and say, Father God, I want to learn everything you’ve got for me. Verse 7 of Psalm 92 says, It’s true the wicked flourish, but only for a moment. They foolishly forget their destiny with death, that they will all one day be destroyed forevermore. Oh, God desires that none be sent to hell, that everyone be saved. And you can see that in John 3.16. And so we’re just asking, Father God, that those who have sincere hearts, hungering and thirsting for you, will come to you quickly. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Verse 8 of Psalm 92. But you, O Lord, are exalted forever in the highest place of endless glory. While your opponents, the workers of wickedness, all will perish forever separated from you. Remember, workers of wickedness means they practice every day being wicked. All right. They’re workers of wickedness. That means they just don’t stop because God or their friends tell them to stop. They are continuing it. It’s really sad when I heard today that a car that had been stolen in Aurora was going down, I believe, Parker Road down to Franktown. And he must have been going at a high speed. I mean, they were crumpled. He hit a father and four children, killed the father and two of the children, and two are in critical condition. And the driver of the stolen car, of course, died also instantly. I just want you to pray for this family right before Thanksgiving. The father dies, two children die, or was it three? No, yes, it could have been three children. And I’m just, oh, it just broke my heart. It just broke my heart. Father God, I thank you for peace during this time for that precious family. They were not expecting this. And I thank you, Father God, that those souls are with you. I thank you, Lord God, that you are a Savior and a Lord over all creation because you created us all in your image. Every one of us. And so I thank you, Father, for protecting this family. And I don’t know how that happens, but give them joy. Give them joy in knowing that you are in the midst of them. Thank you, Father God. Amen. Well, we can’t get away from the workers of wickedness, friend, but we can pray that they will begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness and God will fill them. I don’t desire that even the worst person in America go to hell forever and ever and ever. That’s a long time. And verse 11 says, you’ve said that those lying in wait to pounce on me would be defeated. And now it’s happened right in front of my eyes. And I’ve heard their cries of surrender. That’s what we want. We want people who have been so strong and willful and stubborn and stiff necked. to be yielding and surrender to God. I’ve heard their cries of surrender. Yes, look how you’ve made all your devoted lovers to flourish like palm trees, each one growing in victory, standing with strength. That’s you. That’s me. You’ve transplanted them into your heavenly courtyard where they are thriving before you. Mm hmm. and for your presence they will still overflow and be anointed even in their old age they will stay fresh they’re not going to stink oh bearing luscious fruit and abiding faithfully listen to them with pleasure and they still proclaim in their old age yes you are so good you’re my beautiful strength you’ve never made a mistake with me If you’ve got a passion, read Psalm 92 today. Or maybe you could read part of it during Thanksgiving, during the meal, or before, or after the meal. Well, I’m afraid that some people will go to sleep after the meal. But sometime, ask Holy Spirit when would be a good time for you to read Psalm 92. Oh, thank you so much again, Sister, for having that verse of Scripture on your donation. I appreciate that so much. God knew. We were getting into Ezekiel again and all the destruction and the punishment that went into this book. Well, God knew that we would be a disobedient people. Why did he know this? The human race fell under the spell of Lucifer, Satan, that dragon in the Garden of Eden. the fallen angel. And we read about that in Ezekiel 28. And because we were caught off guard by his wicked schemes, we have inherently fallen spirits. What is the remedy for this situation we find ourselves in? We need a savior, a champion to deliver us of the endless series of sinful acts and all the gossip and all of the awful things that happened because of the fall. If we didn’t have a wonderful, patient God, we would all be in the fix that Israel found herself in the days of Ezekiel. And I’m so grateful for Jesus Christ. Oh, friend, we’ve got to praise God for Jesus every day of our life, every minute of that life, every second of that life. Be grateful and thankful. Oh, but God, but God, as Kimberly says so many times, already had a plan laid out for us. Right in the middle of extremely tough and disastrous times in Israel, God gives a plan of redemption. And I just want to read this also. Ezekiel 11, verse 19. And then… Ezekiel 36, verse 26, twice in that book. Oh, that very troubling book. He gives absolute redemption and the plan for redemption. Here’s Ezekiel 11, verse 19. And I will give them one heart. a new heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take from them the heart of stone, stubborn hearts, and will give them a heart of flesh that is responsive to my touch. And this is from the Amplified, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances. Oh, the more that I know that God loves me and he’s blessing me so much, I want to walk in his statutes and in his ordinances. Yes, I do. I want to obey him and do them. Then you shall be my people and I will be their God. And later on in Ezekiel, in the 36th chapter, he says, for here’s what I’m going to do. God had a plan. He has a plan for you. I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over. and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stony heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God’s will, not self-willed. See, you’re not any longer going to live by your senses, hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, tasting. A lot of us are going to be tasting this weekend. I’ll put my spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people. I will be your God. Do you get the idea that God wants relationship? Yes, he does. He just doesn’t want you going to church on Sunday because it’s a religious duty. No, he wants you to fall in love with him as deeply as he is in love with you. Praise the Lord. And so Ezekiel 36 goes on to say, See, they’re not going to have any more famine, but they’ll go through a really unbelievable, punishable experience in the Holocaust. But they won’t go through famine as a country anymore. And then you’ll think back over your terrible, disobedient lives, the evil, the shame, and be thoroughly disgusted with yourselves, realizing how badly you’ve lived, all those obscenities you’ve carried out. I’m not doing this for you. Oh, God says he’s not doing this for him, for us. I’m not doing this for you. Who’s he doing it for? He’s doing it for himself, his name. Get this through your thick heads. What a mess you made of things, Israel. And in the 36th chapter here, 33 through 36, message of God, the master designer, on the day I scrub you clean from all your filthy living, I’ll also make your cities livable. The ruins will be rebuilt. The neglected land will be worked again. No longer overgrown with weeds and thistles. Did you hear that? Weeds. thistles gone worthless in the eyes of passersby i think that sometimes as i look into the a thousand years the millennial reign of jesus christ i’m thinking lord will there be weeds during this time and i’m thinking maybe not maybe not maybe god has such a marvelous plan of purity on this earth with jesus reigning that there’s we’re not going to have to be concerned about weeds oh why this weed patch has been turned into a garden of eden and the ruined cities smashed into oblivion are now thriving because almost all of israel was destroyed by nebuchadnezzar and the the kings that came after him So we see here that God is saying no more destruction. The nations around you that are still in existence will realize that I, God, rebuild ruins and replant empty waste places. I, God, said so and I’ll do it. God has already a prepared heart change for his people in the book of Ezekiel of all books. All that God wants is a thankful heart of flesh that lifts up his praise in the time of adoration and adoring him. Psalm 22, verse 3 tells us that God lives in the praises of his people. Lord God, you inhabit the praises of your people. He wants us to have thankful and generous giving hearts. And I appreciate that little vignette right before the show when Rachel says, gave 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through 18, wonderful verses of thanksgiving. Thank you, Rachel. Such a blessing to have a producer that loves God. Because I’ve worked for some that haven’t known him. And it’s kind of hard. Oh, but God is so good. So I want to go to Thessalonians. It’s right after whatever. Oh, praise God. You’re hearing that I’m right after Timothy. Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 15. And it says that no one repays another with evil for evil. See, you don’t do that in the Psalms. The age of grace that we’re living in, you love. You love and forgive. Love and forgive. But always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. Seek for that which is good for your neighbor, for you. When I was at the bank today, the… Clerk at the bank said, yeah, we’re going to have our neighbors gather around, and we don’t like turkey, so we’re going to have brisket. I thought, well, that’s great. She says, yeah, we’re going to watch television movies and just have a really good, relaxed afternoon. I said, that is wonderful. So you always seek that which is good for one another. And rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. You mean in the bad that happens in my life? If I have a car crash, God is going to work that for good. Yes, he’s at work. If that happens, he’s at work. Well, what about those people that died in that crash? I tell you, friend, if you don’t protect yourself in the Lord, cover yourself with the blood of Jesus every day. And I say every day because every day is new. And we need to protect ourselves. And God has given us that protection. Well, some people have gone out without that protection. And I believe that they’re in heaven with God because they’ve suffered in the flesh. We need to be really continuing in our prayer life and also asking God to protect us in everything we do. Well, it’s going to be a good time of wonderful Thanksgiving for you. I’m looking to hear from some of you and how Thanksgiving, maybe a loved one is born again during the time that you’re together with your family. Johnny Cash later on in his life after June had left and gone to be with the Lord he sings this poignant prayer we’ve come to the time in the season when family and friends gather near to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for blessings we’ve known through the year to join hands and thank the creator now when thanksgiving is due and this year when I count my blessings I’m thanking the Lord he made you here’s Johnny Cash

SPEAKER 04 : 21:23

We’ve come to the time in the season When family and friends gather near To offer a prayer of thanksgiving For blessings we’ve known through the years To join hands and thank the Creator Now when Thanksgiving is due This year when I count my blessings I’m thanking the Lord He made you This year when I count my blessings I’m thanking the Lord He made you I’m grateful for the laughter of children The sun and the wind and the rain The color of blue in your sweet eyes, the sight of a high-balling train. The moonrise over a prairie, an old love that you’ve made new. And this year when I count my blessings, I’m thinking the Lord, he made you. This year when I count my blessings I’m thankin’ the Lord He made you And when the time comes to be goin’ It won’t be in sorrow and tears I’ll kiss you goodbye and I’ll go on the way I’m grateful for all of the years I’m thankful for all that you gave me For teaching me what love can do And Thanksgiving Day for the rest of my life I’m thanking the Lord He made you And Thanksgiving Day for the rest of my life Thanking the Lord he made you.

SPEAKER 02 : 23:58

It’s such a blessing to see him on YouTube singing and playing the guitar. And even with the loss of his precious wife. Oh, he loved you. They loved each other. I mean, it was a very… It was viewed all over the world how much they loved each other and loyal to each other and ever present with each other. And yet he could say, I’m thanking the Lord for all that I have. I love the laughter of the children, the sun, the wind, the rain, and old love that you’ve made new. This year when I count my blessings, I’m thanking the Lord he made you. And when the time comes to be going, it won’t be in sorrow or tears. Now, he could have become bitter, but he stayed wonderfully joyful through this whole episode. And I’ll tell you, friend, it’s a decision you make. At a loss, you either become better or bitter. And I pray that if you’ve had a loss as devastating as a spouse or children, that you will have an attitude of being better because of it. So he says, I’ll kiss you goodbye and I’ll go my way, grateful for all of the years. And I can say that about John and Darren too. I’ll thank you for all that you gave me, for teaching me what love can do. Thanksgiving Day, for the rest of my life, I’m thanking the Lord he made you. Thanksgiving Day, for the rest of my life, I’m thanking the Lord he made you. And I’m thanking the Lord he made you today, friend. Such a blessing to read all your notes, all of your wonderful praise reports, and even your heart cries, those prayer requests that you have. I pray that God is meeting them. He meets them in sometimes really different ways, but he is looking out for you, and he wants you to be blessed in every way. That is not always monetary, I want to tell you. It’s not always the dollar signs. But friend, he’s looking out for the very best that he has to offer for you in this life on this earth until Jesus comes back and calls us home. Praise the Lord. Oh, what a day that will be when our Jesus we will see. God bless you and keep you. And Kimberly will be on the air with me tomorrow. You have a wonderful time of getting ready for Thanksgiving Day. And remember, God loves you. Take joy.

SPEAKER 01 : 26:51

Thank you for listening to Call to Freedom with Barbara Carmack. You may get in touch with Barbara at Call to Freedom, Box 370-367, Denver, Colorado, 80237. Or you may leave your message at 1-877-917-7256. Call to Freedom is a listener-supported radio ministry. Barbara and her power partners invite you to come on board with us and become a network of hands holding up Call to Freedom ministry. Power partners support Call to Freedom with prayer and monthly financial support. You will be blessed supernaturally. We invite you to visit Call to Freedom’s website, www.freedomstreet.org, where you can hear Barbara’s daily radio broadcast 24 hours a day or order materials. You may share your praise reports and heart cries by mailing them to Call to Freedom, Box 370-367, Denver, Colorado, 80237. Or you may email us at barbracarmack at freedomstreet.org. Until next time, remember, Jesus loves you, Barbara loves you, and take joy.

SPEAKER 1 : 28:28

Thank you.