In this enriching episode, Barbara Carmack delves into the essence of overcoming life’s challenges through unwavering faith. Discussing issues like defending religious liberties and making wise decisions free from fear, Barbara shares insights from scriptures that assure us of God’s unwavering love and power. It’s a powerful reminder that despite societal pressures, faith grants us the courage to stand firm and find true happiness. Embrace a life where joy, wisdom, and strength define your path, with tools for wisdom and counsel through biblical lessons.
SPEAKER 02 :
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. 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 01 :
Welcome to Call to Freedom. It’s such a joy to have you join me today. I know that God looks down on the lowly and he lifts up those who are lowly. He raises up those who are bowed down because he loves the righteous. And right now in Psalm 146, verse 5. Blessed is he whose hope is in the Lord, his God. Last weekend, I was watching a documentary on praise at TBN about Jack Phillips. Oh, that precious man. God has raised him up time and time again. The state of Colorado has come against that man five times, five times. He’s had to go to court. And you know what? He’s won every time because God lifts up those who are bowed low. Those who don’t have any defense at all. And friend, our God does that so miraculously, so easily, so effortlessly. Praise the Lord. He loves the righteous. He really does. And I think of that Psalm, Psalm 3, verse 3, that David wrote. He’s the glory and the lifter of my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice. Sometimes we do get desperate. Oh, Lord, I need you right now. I cried to the Lord with my voice and he heard me. God hears you. He hears and answers your prayers, my friend. He really does. You are blessed to dispense for in him you live and move and have your being. If you would like to contact us by email, especially, you can call us, as Jimmy said at the beginning, and end at 1-877-917-7256 and contact us that way. Or you can email us at barbracarmack at freedomstreet.org. Kimberly… at freedomstreet.org, or hello at freedomstreet.org. Yeah, hello. You can go there and email us anytime. And if you would like to listen to Call to Freedom shows, we had a little glitch here yesterday, and some of the shows were not appearing, or they were duplicate. So Chris got right to work our… and he cleared all that up. So feel free to go back to freedomstreet.org and click on radio shows under resources. And you can listen to those shows. Darren and I are on Fridays. Sometimes he’s alone, he’s solo. And then times when Kimberly is on, we usually have that title. So it’s easier for you to listen to and understand. And you can also go to 670-KLTT and they’ve got a radio app. 670-KLTT. So you can listen to Call to Freedom day or night, whatever is most convenient for you. Oh, God bless you. If you find this program of a help to you, of encouragement to you, uplifting to you, you can also donate at that website, freedomstreet.org. God bless you. And we have a meeting this Saturday, our regular monthly Call to Freedom meeting. We have brunch at 10 o’clock. So if you if you want to come to the house at 945 and call me and leave your number so I can call you back, especially if you’ve never been to a call to freedom meeting. And because we want to be at the restaurant by 10 o’clock so we can just enjoy each other’s company for an hour, because at 11 o’clock, then we have Bible study. So again, if you would like to come to the brunch and the Bible study, call me for reservations at 1-877-917-7256. Just a joy to look forward to you being there with us on Saturday. I hope you can make it. From the ACLJ.org, Christians are being canceled all around us for their beliefs. We all see it. Maybe it’s even happened to you. It’s a war against our faith. Yesterday, I cheered after reading a state attorney general statement, a reminder that public schools do not exist to indoctrinate students. In the comments section, the left pounced with mockery and vile comments. The radical left’s thirst for total control is never quenched. It’s like the enemy. It’s like Satan. He’s just never satisfied, ever, ever. So don’t give in to him, ever. And even in the deeply red Midwestern states, Leftists despise religious liberty and seek to punish Christians. We see it in our court cases every day. And we’re defending employees barred from wearing a cross or bringing a Bible to work. Parents protecting their kids from propaganda. And homeowners blocked from having a Bible study by their HOA. I’ll tell you, if I had to move to a place with an HOA, I don’t think I would, folks. I just don’t. I’m grandfathered into my neighborhood. I think they do have an HOA policy there, but I’ve been there long enough that they don’t bother me. Praise God. It’s got to be God at work. So you can go to ACLJ.org and sign Defend Christians from the Radical Left’s Hate. Defend Christians from the radical left’s hate, and give while you’re there. Give to ACLJ.org, and they will really appreciate it, because they’re continually going to court around the world. They have offices around the world. And this is on behalf of Melania. I enjoyed this because I really believe she is so supportive of her husband. At a dinner at the White House last week, Melania noticed that as her husband, President Trump, was speaking, Mark Zuckerberg, sounds like sucker, doesn’t it? Mark Zuckerberg sitting right beside him was speaking to the person next to him. Melania noticed and was quite appalled by his behavior. He was sitting beside the president of the United States with no respect for him getting the attention of the people at the table. Melania is very cognizant of people when they ignore the president. One comment after this was aired and the person said any man would consider himself profoundly fortunate to call a woman like Melania his wife. And that’s so true. However, other comments on the post disagreed that the first lady was unhappy because of Zuckerberg. Another ex-user shared, I don’t think it was just Zuckerberg, honestly, who were the people right across from the president. And he pointed out the woman playing with a man’s hair on his neck or the guy next to him who didn’t even pay attention either. Wow, such disrespect. I am so grateful that our president doesn’t look at people for approval. I am so grateful. And in the majority of social and formal gatherings involving groups of people, it is viewed as impolite to talk when the host is delivering remarks. And that’s even if you go to a special dinner, say some dinner in Denver, and there is a host. You listen to that host. You do not open your mouth and talk to someone else while he is speaking. It’s just protocol. And while Zuckerberg seems to chat to someone beside him, Microsoft creator Bill Gates, who’s very much left, seated next to Melania, turns his head toward Trump as he speaks, smiling. So we can respect the president even if we’re on the other side, even if we’re left wing. Mark Zuckerberg and his team have been approached for comment, but there has been no comment. And our verse of scripture for this week is Isaiah 11, verse 1 and 2. Here’s the living translation. Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot. And I capitalize that S H capital S H O O T. Yes. A new branch bearing fruit from the old root. That’s the tribe of Judah. That’s where Jesus came from. The tribe of Judah. And the spirit of the Lord will rest upon him. The spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of power and might, the spirit of revelation, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance. OK, so you don’t have the best clothes on and you don’t have you know, you look disrupt ruffled sometimes and disheveled sometimes. It doesn’t happen. It doesn’t matter. God it does not he loves you he really loves you just the way you are and he’s the one that’s going to work on you he’s the one that works on you and Holy Spirit is doing that also as you serve him as you trust him he’s going to give you some some good pointers to um Get better. Yeah, get better in your behavior. Get better in your appearance. Get better in your speaking. And that’s what we’re all about. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. Praise the Lord. I’m so grateful for scriptures that not only point to Jesus, but friend, Holy Spirit is giving us wisdom and understanding. and power and might and counsel and revelation, knowledge and fear or reverence for the Lord God. He needs our reverence and our honor more than ever before because the world’s not going to do that. They’re not going to honor God. No way. but we need to honor our heavenly father who created us. Praise the Lord. Well, the scripture that I’ve been talking about last week and this week is second Timothy one verse seven. God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. Yesterday, I gave you some definitions of fear, and I’m just going to go through the list again. The definitions of fear is a painful condition with expectations of something happening or going to happen. Anxious thoughts of impending danger. And when you give in to those thoughts, do you know what it does? It absolutely paralyzes you from doing any activities, from going on with your work and your ability to do things during your day. You’re concentrating and you’re focusing, obsessing almost on that fear that’s confronting you. And when you allow fear to grip your heart, you may speak words contrary to the word of God. When we speak words that are contrary to the word of God, we are releasing a force which can change the atmosphere around us in a negative way. I don’t want that to happen to you. I don’t want that negative words to go out there as when you email, when you put something on Instagram or when you do something on Facebook, it’s there forever. It’s in the cloud and it’s going around and around forever and ever. So make sure that you know what you’re saying on Instagram and Facebook. It’s so important that you just don’t put yourself out there totally and completely naked before people. Oh, they’re so mean. They really are. Fear causes irrationality and may cause you to make rash decisions that you may later regret. You may feel like you’re tossed around like a balloon on a windy day. Take time when you’re faced with a big decision and allow Holy Spirit to speak to you about the options. I’ve learned that through many anxious and irrational moments in my life to quiet myself. Yes, peace. And Jesus says in chapter 14 of verse and verse 26 of John, he says, peace. I leave with you my peace. I give to you not as the world gives to I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus. So when you have decisions to make, you just take some moments, just be calm, calm yourself and say, this isn’t a life and death. Most of the time, friend, it is not a life and death situation. Not allowing negative words to come out of your mouth. And your spirit may catch you saying negative words and you need to admit and confess and change your language. I’m not going to say that anymore. And you can almost say as an act of my will, I will eliminate the words can’t, don’t, won’t, and those negative words that put down instead of raise up. Are you edifying? Are you lifting up? Are you complimenting? Or are you putting down? Are you trying to find somebody who is lower than you and you’re going to speak against them? You’re condescending. You want to have control of the situation. That’s not going to work. Not when you say you serve the Lord Jesus. That’s not going to work. And, oh, folks, if I could sit down with you and let you know that it’s not your responsibility to take on every project or task in this world. Separate your responsibility and the responsibility that belongs to God. See, just this week, I called a tree service that I use frequently. Oh, Canales. Oh, they’re beautiful. They’re wonderful. They’re cheerful, even though they’re climbing up my 50 foot high tree. I mean, they are marvelous, marvelous trimmers. They gave my trees haircuts today. And it’s like they are, see, I couldn’t do that on my own. I could not climb up into that tree and saw off those huge, I mean, some of those limbs were eight feet long and they were, oh, so round. They were more round than some of your waists. I didn’t. They’re unbelievably huge and big. See, I had to respond to something else. So I responded to a tree service that has really given me great service. I responded to them, and so God brought them. They have trimmed the trees. They absolutely cleared the yard. They went over into the neighbor’s yard to clear away branches. I am just so… So in awe of what they’ve been doing. But it’s my respond ability to God that gets him at work. Not my responsibility. It’s not my responsibility to take on some of these projects. And some of you have tried to control your lives to the point where you’re taking on all this stuff that really belongs to God. It really does. I went through years of thinking that if I didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done. And God doesn’t want you saying things like that. It’s up to me. If I don’t do it, nobody will. No, that’s not right. Many of the things I thought that needed to be done didn’t need to be done. It’s so true. Not right then anyway. And usually if I wait, even as long as six months or seven months later, somebody else comes along and says, can I help you with that? Oh, the torture, the torture and the anxiety. I lived through all those years that I was trying to control all kinds of things in my life and in my family’s life. And what I put others through, especially my precious family. Oh, friends, I don’t want that for you. I want you to be a person of joy. As Kimberly was saying, to count it all joy. Everything that you thought has been failures, that have been mistakes in your life, that has been sin in your life. Count it all joy. Put those debits, those debts, all of that into your credit column. of your life, and it’s going to work out for you. The battle and the daily ordeals that we’re confronted with, that belongs to God. It absolutely belongs to God. Kimberly’s teaching on credits and debits really touched my heart. Maybe it’s because I was doing credit and debit balances for so many years, but I don’t think so. I believe that many of you have felt like you weren’t doing enough for God, but friend, it’s not the doing for God. It’s believing. On him that counts. The other day I was talking to a dear, precious friend who has not talked to God, who has not believed very long. And she said, I just don’t feel after I prayed with her, prayed the sinner’s prayer. And she, uh, she repeated after me that Jesus, she’s now making the Lord Jesus, the savior and the Lord of her life. Well, I don’t feel like it. I don’t feel like anything’s changed well. And then I gave her the phrase that is so familiar to all of us of what Darren used to say. Feelings and symptoms are liars. God’s word is truth. It’s so, it’s so good friend. It really is. And to bring that to a, uh, a place where I need to talk about the world’s wisdom. Oh, this is so good. In 1 Corinthians 3, let man not deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise or has control, Let him become foolish that he may become wise. God says for the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God, for it is written he is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness. And again, the Lord knows the reasonings of the wise in this world. That they are useless. They’re foolishness. The wisdom of this world is foolishness. That’s 1 Corinthians 3, verse 18, 19, and 20. So we know that the battle belongs to God. God, I give you the battle today. Lord, I give you my fear today. I am so scared of what’s going to happen tomorrow. And tomorrow, does tomorrow happen? No, tomorrow is always today. tomorrow doesn’t happen. And most of the time, the fear that we’re fearing, the cringing fear, the anxiety of fear doesn’t happen. It really doesn’t happen. So I want you to remember what Kimberly said. I believe that many of you have felt like you were just not doing enough for God. But what he is asking you to do from John six is believe on Jesus whom he sent. When Kimberly said, now you take the debt side of your spreadsheet and all you owe and your debt and slide it right over into the credit side. I thought, wow. That’s miraculous. That’s exactly what our heavenly father wants us to do because he wants to share our debts, what we owe as well as our blessings. He’s a God of relationship and he wants to be there for you because when you trust in him, all things work together for your good. And I know you’ve heard me say these verses, but down deep inside, have you changed? Have you given it over to him? Have you cast all your care on him? Have you allowed him to be the Lord of your life and to share that yoke? Oh, he’s lowly, he’s meek, he’s mild, he’s gentle, and he’s wonderful. He’s able to take that. So there’s a song that we’re going to be singing this Saturday at the meeting. In heavenly armor, we enter the land. The battle belongs to the Lord. No weapon that’s fashioned against us will stand. The battle belongs to the Lord from Second Chronicles 2015. We sing glory and honor and power and strength to the Lord. We sing it to the Lord and we give him all the glory. And when the power of darkness comes in like a flood, the battle belongs to the Lord. He’s raised up a standard, the power of his blood. The battle belongs to the Lord. And friend, when the enemy presses in hard, do not fear. The battle belongs to the Lord. Take courage, my friend. Your redemption is near. Hallelujah. The battle belongs to the Lord. Let’s begin to release some of those things that are overwhelming in our lives so that the Lord can take over. He’s able to take care of every care and need in our lives. Yes, things that seem impossible. Let’s be stewards of kindness and gentleness in our approach to winning these battles in life. Let’s speak words that are uplifting and true and pure and honest and above reproach. It is truly to serve the Lord every day with a joyful heart. I hope you’re counting it all joy, joy, joy, joy, joy. You’re counting it all joy when you see different trials in your life because you’re giving them now over to the Lord. Here’s John and me.
SPEAKER 04 :
Everybody’s looking for happiness, contentment and peace of mind. You can try all the pleasures of this old world. Bye. Bye. Bye. Hello everywhere that you go, but this one thing I know is so. You’ll never find peace of mind anywhere, anytime, till you find the joy that Jesus gives. I used to think I was happy. I thought I had such joy and bliss. Till Jesus came and took my sins all away And now I really know what true joy is Because I found Jesus He’s the great joy giver You may think that you’re happy But I know that you’ll never find Joy, joy, joy that Jesus gives When he comes into your heart to live You may search hard But this one thing I know is so You’ll never find peace of mind anywhere, anytime Till you find the joy that Jesus gives He’ll give you joy in the morning He’ll give you joy in the night He’ll give you joy in your sorrow For with Jesus everything is alright He’s got rivers of blessing that never run dry And joys eternal waiting in the sky We look everywhere but nothing compares To the joy that Jesus gives To the joy
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, praise God. He’ll give you joy in the morning. He’ll give you joy in the night. He’ll even give you joy in the sorrow. For with Jesus, everything is all right. I hope it’s all right with you today. Oh, he’s got rivers of blessing that never run dry and joy eternal waiting in the sky. You can look high and low. You can look high and low all over this world, but you’ll never find the joy that Jesus gives. Remember when Jesus told us to eat the fat, drink the sweet, share with others, do not grieve. For what? The joy of the Lord is your strength. And during this time, when Nehemiah was saying that verse in Nehemiah 8, 10, it was not going well for Israel. It was not. They had sinned. I mean, excessively. And God loved them. He took them and he cared for them. I know they had to go into captivity. They did. And sometimes our sins, we got to face the consequences for them. But God is a loving God. He does not allow the devil to take you down. He does not. When you trust in him, remember. Psalm 146 that I said at the beginning of this program, blessed are those, I should say, blessed are those whose hope is in the Lord, his God. Let me say that again. Blessed are those whose hope is in the Lord, their God. That’s so important to remember, folks. Hope in God. Trust in him. For the joy of the Lord is your strength. And count it all joy. All the things that are not happening the way you wanted them to happen. All the little errors in life. God is going to come and work together all things for your good. Because he loves you. He really does. Take joy and take confidence in who God is in your life. Love you.
SPEAKER 1 :
877-917-7256
SPEAKER 02 :
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. Our 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 :
Thank you.