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 80237 or by going to the website at www.freedomstreet.org If you want to leave a message or order a Word Power 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.
SPEAKER 05 :
Welcome to Call to Freedom. The Lord loves to give you priceless blessings. The friendships he’s created, the family he’s given, the memories he’s filled with his joy. So receive his goodness today, my friend. And as Kimberly and I talk about the wonderful opportunities God is giving us, I hope that you will just absorb all that like a sponge. Just take it all in because it’s God speaking to us today. Yes, he’s doing something new and we are jumping on board. Yes, we are. Let’s do our Monday Bible slogan. This is so good. 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. And that originated with Carmen. OK, isn’t that amazing? Yeah. Long time ago. And then I think Joel Osteen took it up for a part of it. And his congregation says that every week, every week. So I’m I’m happy to be able to say that and know that everything that I have, I am in him. And if you think of Jesus, think of our Lord Jesus, everything that you need to have in your life for a good life. a blessed life is Jesus. Yes. It’s Jesus. It’s all in him. It’s all for him. It’s all because of him. That’s why we can say, you are blessed to dispense for in him you live and move and have your being. Praise God. Oh, and we’re in that part in Acts, Kimberly, where Paul was going to, what was the city that he went to? Antioch. And they stoned him. Yeah. and left him for dead. And he gets up. I cannot imagine. Because when you scrape your knee just a little bit, the blood seems to just flow.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, right. And then there is a way that we can speak over our bodies and be in agreement with our Lord that it is in him that we live and move and have our being, not in bruises, not in injuries, not in x-rays. And I appreciate the medical realm very, very much. But when we are growing our faith, we are learning to say and speak to our bodies, say things that cause strength to come back into them. And then there’s grace. So you’re right. When we stumble, if we scrape our knee, that stings, it burns. But what happens when you start speaking comfort to that knee? Yeah. And trusting that it is the Lord who knits you back together and watch him do miracles in your body. I’ve done it so often that I know that Paul had to have come up off the ground with a lot of grace flowing through him.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, and his friends praying for him. Yes, because that’s so important. They probably thought he was dead. And then probably his eyes opening or something, just a little action motion. And they started praying. They just really started praying. And remember, this is after the upper room experience and the power of Holy Spirit fell on them. Oh, praise the Lord. I’ve got a little article about Elon Musk. And I don’t know how you feel about Elon. But when we hear those names, President Trump, Elon Musk, Pete Hegseth, what do you do? Do you just kind of let it slip by, or do you pray for him? And as I’m reading this article, I hope you’re praying for him. And by the Lord Jesus Christ and also his heritage. Remember, there were articles about his great-great-grandfather who went to Africa to spread the gospel. So we know he comes from a family who loved God. So pray for him as I read this article. Elon Musk hurtled onto the political scene in the last couple of years, spending big money to secure Republican control of the federal government and in states where he has businesses. I mean, it was not only a personal incentive, it was a patriotic incentive. And last year, he spent nearly $300 million. How many of us can get that figure up? $300 million on Republican campaigns, according to the Federal Election Commission filings. The bulk of that was to boost Trump, but a super PAC he founded also spent millions on U.S. House races. Musk also has dabbled in state politics in Texas, where he moved several of his businesses. He became involved in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race shortly after Tesla’s sued the state in a dispute over a law barring automakers from operating or controlling vehicle dealerships. I don’t see anything wrong with that, but probably they do because of the politics. The case ultimately could end up before the state Supreme Court. So thank you, Father, for Elon Musk. Bless him with a spirit of salvation and protection in everything he does. Friend, because God has brought him to the forefront right now as the richest man in the world to help conservative campaigners get into office.
SPEAKER 04 :
And that’s so important. Yeah. And it’s not just about Republican versus Democrat, right? That’s right. having godly principles come back into our nation. And as we saw that win a couple of weeks ago for Colorado and that ban lifted so that counselors and therapists can now talk freely to young ones who are confused. And when we saw that ban lift, we started seeing clouds of blessing and more rain patterns coming to Colorado. Our God will come back to us. That’s not the right way to word it. Let me say this differently. We’re the ones who leave his umbrella of blessings and provision and his protection. We’re the ones who leave him. We turn away and we make decisions and we think it’s so good to try these things on our own. But wow, it brings drought. It brings a time of wilderness. And this state has been under a drought. And God is saying, I will do a new thing for you. Turn back to me and watch. You’re going to see something brand new.
SPEAKER 05 :
That’s right. It’s time. Amen. I think of the candidates for the governor of Colorado. on the conservative side, and I just pray that those candidates will come together, meet together, and one candidate will result from that with the others cooperating and going alongside him. Because, Kimberly, if we split up in Colorado with the less population of the GOP voters… It’s happened before. Oh, I know it has.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
We just need to pray for cooperation between the candidates that are campaigning for governor of Colorado.
SPEAKER 04 :
So remember that a spirit of unity, unity, a spirit of harmony. Yes. And coming alongside one another. And I think each one of us are going to benefit from doing that individually in our own homes, our own workplaces, in our schools. If we come together and decide, you know what, it’s time for something new. Yeah, and let’s get into some of those scriptures. You have so many really good scriptures about the new things.
SPEAKER 05 :
Before that, I want to just introduce the memory verse for this week, Isaiah 30, verse 18. And it goes along with what we’re going to be talking about. Therefore, the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore he waits on high. It’s for you, for you, for your salvation. And for the Lord is a God of justice. How blessed are all those who long or wait for him. And the passion here is so good. Isaiah 30, verse 18. Do you have the passion? Do I?
SPEAKER 04 :
I don’t think I do.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, okay. For this reason, the Lord is still waiting to show his favor to you so he can show you his marvelous love. He waits to be gracious to you. He sits… Because… You’re very up and down and scurrying here and there and busy, busy, busy, busy. And he waits to be gracious to you. He sits on his throne ready to show mercy to you. For Yahweh is the Lord of justice, faithful to keep his promises. Overwhelmed with bliss are all those who will entwine their hearts in him, waiting for him to help them. Kimberly, what does the word entwine mean? Oh.
SPEAKER 04 :
It means that we are, yeah, it’s almost a twisting where we are waiting on him and we become so much like him in our peace and our calm state. Being still and knowing that he is the Lord actually brings us kind of like a rope where that rope is all, there’s so many pieces, but they’re twisted all together and it strengthens the rope. If you just have one thread… It’s not strong, but start twisting a hundred of them together and you’ve got this strength. And so it’s like you’re entwined is like being a rope being roped in and and grafted in to the Lord and his strength.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes. It’s like your chef, Lara. You twisted it, didn’t you, when it was young? Am I thinking of the… A ficus tree.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, ficus. I’m sorry. That’s okay. Yes, and you twisted it when it was real young. Yeah, now you can’t tell one piece from the other. It’s just all braided together. They’ve combined together and become one trunk. It’s a big tree. Mm-hmm. This is a really long verse, Isaiah 30, 18. So I was trying to look here and find out which, which one do we want to focus on? He waits to be gracious to you. I love that phrase. He waits. He waits for you to you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes. He waits for you. He can’t get some of the attention of the people. He just can’t. And yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
So having a memory verse from Isaiah 30, 18, he waits to be gracious to you. I like that. And I want to learn and am praying that each of us will learn how to wait for him, wait on him.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s just like waiting for the trees to all leaf out. I mean, it takes a while. And you see all the little leaves coming out. And then all of a sudden, oh, we went by some trees. I mean, they were fully green, fully green, ready for the summer. And it’s just wonderful to watch God’s nature. It’s his creation.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. And that’s a really great way to see something new is coming. The leaves that are coming on the trees are something new coming. And last week we had mentioned Isaiah 43, 18 through 21. Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify me. The people whom I formed for myself will declare my praise. This is such a good verse because when we feel like we are in a wilderness with our job, with our health, with our relationships, with others, in our career, in our education. It can feel like a real wilderness, a dry place that we’re going through. It can feel like we are maybe not flourishing the way we would like to. But this verse is saying, behold us. I will do something new now. I will do something new now. It will spring forth in the middle of that dry place. I’ll make a roadway in the wilderness. You’ll still be in the wilderness. There’ll be a roadway there and rivers in the desert. It’s still a desert, but there will be rivers cutting through that desert. And so when it feels like a dry place, In your dreams and in your hopes of your relationships and your promotion, your career, your health, when it feels really dry, we can trust that God is doing a new thing. And so much of that is learning to wait on him. Yes. Not be trying and trying and trying in our own efforts to fix something. Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
don’t you believe now now i do but don’t you believe god’s blessings are continually falling like rain and people have to recognize it i think that’s why he’s talking in the 18th verse um of isaiah 43 yes oh it’s the 19th verse i uh will you not be aware of it now it will spring forth in you I say in you the actual excitement of what God is doing in your life instead of the negative. And it says, will you not be aware of it? How do I get your attention? I’m pouring out these blessings on you. How do I get your attention? Mm hmm. And a lot of people, he can’t get their attention.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, the attention comes in the wilderness. So many of us are trying to resist the wilderness. And we do everything we can to try to fix the situation and stay out of the wilderness.
SPEAKER 05 :
Or enjoy the physical things of this world. We get comfortable.
SPEAKER 04 :
We really do. And lazy. Those distractions are what we use to stay out of the wilderness. The wilderness doesn’t have all of those comforts. The wilderness does not have all of those people. The wilderness is a dry and a barren place. And so that is the place where we want to learn to be okay in, not just be okay, but to also learn a relationship that is so trusting, entwined, like you said earlier, entwined in such a way that we can rest and watch a miracle, something new spring forth. Yes.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
This is why we do not call to mind the former things, the things that we thought that we were going to have, the things that we used to have. We do not call them to mind and we don’t ponder them on them anymore. We look to the new thing, but we go to the wilderness to do it. And so many were sent to the wilderness. So many were called out into the wilderness. If you read through the Old Testament, you know, even someone who was not considered God’s covenant person, Hagar, Hagar, Abraham’s. It was really concubine. It was a maid to Sarah. She was sent out into the wilderness. And guess what? God met her there and made a covenant with her, even though she was not considered a covenant person. Abraham was. He made a covenant with Ishmael, her son. She was worried, but she went to the wilderness. And she heard from God in that wilderness. Each one of us as individuals, we need to not be afraid of those wilderness places of letting things go a little, be more simplified in your life. Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
I remember when you recommended that book, will you choose the wilderness? And we read the whole book. Will you choose the wilderness? And most of the people around the Bible study table said, I don’t like this book. I mean, it smacks you right in the face, but it’s a good lesson. It truly is. Am I willing to yield and give up what I have?
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s right. For something better. For something better. Someone better who provides better things, who has a better path in the wilderness. And that’s what I was hoping people would understand about that book. Will you choose the wilderness? Will you choose God in the wilderness? Yes. Because when we silence ourselves and silence our phones, put them aside and don’t look anymore at all of the information that comes up and all the suggestions of what you should do in your relationships, with your career, with your health, your home, your finances, right? We have so many suggestions. I know you said your Bible plan that you have, you’re in Acts right now. I am always all over the place, and thank you for understanding that and being gracious about that. I was reading in Matthew 25 this morning, and this is such a great chapter. Matthew 25 talks about the parable of the ten virgins. It talks about a parable of the financial stewardship where there were three servants. One was given five talents. One was trusted with two talents and one was trusted with one. And then they each had an opportunity to invest in the master comes back. Then there is also a, um, this is Jesus talking about when, when the end of the world at the end of the times, um, He’s talking about how some saw him hungry, saw him thirsty and gave him food to drink, food to eat and gave him a drink. And they’re looking at him saying, when did we do that for you? He said, when you do it for the least of these, you’ve done it for me. This whole chapter is talking about relationship. Those 10 virgins, they call five of them foolish and five of them wise. What’s interesting to me is that they all fell asleep. The wise ones and the foolish ones all fell asleep. And I’ve heard people talk about how the wise ones were wise because they still had oil for their lamps. Now, they were still at the door waiting for their bridegroom. And the foolish ones were foolish to think that there was any other source they could go to to get oil. It’s only going to come from Jesus. And if you don’t know him as being generous in whatever your situation is, then that’s what makes us foolish is to not know him as being generous. The giver, the one who supplies all we need. So we wait at the door. We wait for him in the wilderness where it looks like it’s dry and it looks like we’ve run out of oil and it looks like we’ve run out of friends and family and we’ve run out of our health. We wait for him there and expect that he will supply what we need. He will be the one to open the door.
SPEAKER 05 :
That’s right. And in that same chapter that you’re referring to, Kimberly, he talks about these slaves that were given certain amount of talents and And in verse 23, I’m going to just start reading there because I don’t want to read the whole passage. We’ve got so much to talk about this week. Oh, well done, Jesus said. Well, the slave or the servant that came with two talents, he said, Master, you entrusted me with two talents and see, I have gained two more. So that means he had four. And his master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord. That reminds me of the virgins, Kimberly. It goes right alongside with them. Some of these, I don’t want to call them slaves, but they were servants. Yes, they were servants of this master and many of them and two of them. uh, took, uh, seriously what the master had said.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, let’s look at this a little more closely because I’m going to tear it apart a little bit because I’m saying that the, the virgins that are called wise were wise because they waited at the door. The foolish ones were foolish, not because they ran out of oil, not because they weren’t prepared. It’s because they left the door. They weren’t expecting their master to be the one to give them the oil. And that is who supplies for us. These three that were given the five talents, the two talents, and then the one servant that was given the one talent. He was afraid. Let’s go on and read. Okay. Verse 24 of Matthew 25 says the one who had been entrusted with one talent. came to his master and said look sir i know that you are a hard man to please you’re shrewd and you’re ruthless you’re a ruthless business man who grows rich on the backs of others Can you imagine somebody coming to the Lord and saying, I don’t think you’re very fair. You’re not just.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think a lot of people have said that, Kimberly, especially with loss or something like that in life.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is someone who doesn’t really know the Lord. That’s right. You, when you don’t know God as being generous and kind and compassionate and merciful, that is his true heart. In fact, we’ll look at Jeremiah. I’m going to write this down because I don’t have the, um, the exact location of this verse. I believe it might be in Jeremiah 33. It talks about how he does a strange work when he disciplines us. It’s strange to our God to have to discipline us. If there are any consequences or any punishment that needs to be doled out, it’s strange to him because his heart is so compassionate. He is so full of love. And in fact, the New Testament describes God is love.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes. In fact, the punishment is so different from the discipline. The discipline is the. the correction of a father towards a child that he loves. And so when you get into a situation where something doesn’t work out or you’ve lost a relationship or whatever, ask the Lord, Lord, is this you? Is this you teaching me? Or is this punishment from the enemy? Because punishment takes on a whole different meaning.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yep. Condemnation and shame come along with punishment. And that’s not our God. He corrects us, but he usually does it gently. And he has got a way in that wilderness of bringing a love and a joy and a peace that just washes over us when we experience his correction. If we look in Matthew 25 and verse 25, this servant is saying, I was afraid of you. I was afraid of you, master. So I went and hid your money and buried it in the ground. But here it is. Take it. It’s yours. Well, the master was angered by what he heard. Rightfully so. He’s like, well, you’re not very trustworthy. If you knew I was shrewd and ruthless, why wouldn’t you at least deposit my money in the bank? So I would get some interest on that. He didn’t take any effort for the Lord. Any.
SPEAKER 05 :
He didn’t make any action or effort.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, it’s not even about the works, right? It’s not about the effort. The key here is if you knew. If you knew. What you think you know about the Lord, be willing to change your mind, because that is what these parables are all about. The parable of the ten virgins, the parable of these financial stewards, the parable or or the way Jesus is describing the people in the end, the godly ones who gave life. bread and drink to him when he was hungry and when he was thirsty. And when he, when they asked, when did we do that? It’s when you saw the least, the ones who are hurting, the ones that you might even be repulsed by, but you brought them bread, you supplied for them, you provided for them in their need. That’s when you truly knew me. If you knew me, that’s the big thing right there in these verses. And that’s Matthew 25, verse 26. If you know him, then you are considered a wise one. It’s not even about how much you multiplied what you were given in this lifetime. It’s about getting to know him. The master. That’s right. Absolutely. And that’s when he is able to do a new thing in our lives to show us a grace that is so full of provision, so full of the joy of connection, the full of reconciliation with others. He has got that for us and we just need to be able to trust that in him. Let him do the work and get our fingers off of it.
SPEAKER 05 :
That’s right. And help him be helping with him, my friend. We’re going to talk more about the new things that are coming. God bless you and keep you and take joy.
SPEAKER 01 :
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.
