In this enlightening episode of Call to Freedom, Barbara Carmack discusses the profound joy found in serving Jesus. Through personal stories and scripture, she emphasizes the importance of dedicating time to deepen one’s spiritual life, especially through engagement with the Holy Spirit. Barbara shares insights on how modern translations of the Bible can enhance understanding and spiritual nourishment.
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 Called Up Freedom. There is joy in serving Jesus. There’s nothing more worthy of our time, more nourishing to our souls, and more satisfying to our hearts. There is nothing more worthy of our time. I remember those years in college. I only attended four years, but… I remember going to class at 7 in the morning, getting off, going to the work that I had. I had 16 hours, and then I worked 30 hours, additional hours, at a lapidary firm, which was so engaging. It was wonderful. And so I worked that for four years. And I remember the time I put into it. Oh, my goodness. I mean, going to work, going to class. And then when I got back from work in the afternoon, I’d quick try to get a snack at the cafeteria and and then off to my room where I studied until midnight, and then it was over and over again. So when I realize the little bit of time we give to the Lord, the little bit of time that we give to our Lord Jesus, and hardly any time to Holy Spirit in our lives, I believe that we need to up that up the hours that we give to the Lord, to Lord Jesus, and especially to Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit’s your best friend. So I’m going to say this again. There is joy in serving Jesus. There’s nothing more worthy of our time, more nourishing to our souls and more satisfying to our hearts. It’s so good. Oh, so good. I love that. 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. Praise God. He gives every one of us a Bible. It has given me new life. It is the word of God. And yes, you have opportunity to get the Bible. There are so So many ways, so many people giving Bibles away that you have no excuse for not having a Bible at all. And I’m so glad that I have too many Bibles at home. I don’t know what to do with the Bibles I have read, and I’ve underlined them so much that they’re hardly able to read it. So I don’t want to give it to people because they can’t read my Bibles anymore. They’re four colors all over the scriptures. I know that if you ask for a Bible from anyone, from a ministry, from your church, from an online ministry, if you would even contact me at Barbara at FreedomStreet.org and tell me that you don’t have the resources to get a Bible, I will get a Bible for you. I will. So God bless you. I want you to have a Bible of your own. And I really prefer some of these modern translations. King James is okay, but all the these and the thous and the begets and everything begin to get confusing to the average person. So the New Living Translation, the New American Standard, the message, the passion, they’re just great. They’re wonderful. And New King James, of course, the New King James version. So you are blessed to dispense for in him you live and move and have your being. Oh, I love Acts 17, verse 28, because it’s in him I live and move and have my being. Thank you so much for your offerings to call to freedom. Oh, at the beginning of the year, you know it’s more expensive. Wow, I’ve gotten bills for trash yearly and bills for the sidewalk maintenance. Yes. In Denver, Colorado, we get bills and it was over $500. Okay. So it’s a biggie. It’s a biggie bill at the beginning of the year. And then, of course, property tax. If you own a home, you’re going to pay. And in Denver, you’re going to get an increase every year. So, oh, God help us who live here. I know that in other states, especially the red states, the prices are a little bit less, and I praise God for that, as it should be. So thank you so much for your donations, your contributions, online at freedomstreet.org and through the mail. I love reading your letters. I love reading your writing. And your penmanship, I love that. So continue doing that. Thank you. God bless you. We have a meeting this Saturday, March the 14th. It’s going to be beautiful and spring-like, just like it is today. It’s 62 degrees today, and I think we’re having the Florida weather here. But then I just heard that it’s 87 in Florida, so I’d rather have the 62 degrees. And we’re just going to have a great meeting. Brunch at 930. And the Call to Freedom meeting at 11 o’clock. We’re going to study the word of God about how to obtain victory when the enemy is against us. It’s going to be good. It really is going to be great and for your benefit. If you’d like to make reservations for the restaurant, call me at 1-877-917-7256. Thank you so much. And our memory verse for this week. I was reading through some chapters in Isaiah this weekend, and I got to the 61st chapter, and it’s so beautiful, the 11th verse. And I’m going to read it from the Amplified translation. Oh, that’s another good translation, Amplified. I think she follows mainly the New American Standard. She might have her own. I’ll have to look into that. But here is Francis Seward’s in Amplified. Oh, this is such a tremendous translation of this beautiful verse. So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. How? Through the self-fulfilling power of the word. Now, all the other translations do not have that beautiful phrase through the self-fulfilling power of the word, but it is the word of God that makes all of nature spring up before And all of the people come alive. Their hearts are beating because of God. So we’re going to we’re going to be talking about Isaiah 61, verse 11. And in the passion, Isaiah 61, 11 says, in the same way the earth produces its crops and seeds spring up in a garden that is not evolution, folks. so will the Lord Yahweh cause righteousness and praise to blossom before all the nations. Again, by the self-fulfilling power of God’s word. God’s word goes to work for you. When you’re within the will of God and you’re praying, Holy Spirit and the word of God goes to work for you, especially when you put the word of God on your lips. When you speak the word back to God. Oh, he loves that. He delights in that when you are going back to God. I was really last Thursday at Bible study. I was we were talking around the table and we get into some of the things that are happening right now. And, you know, the bombing over Iran by Israel and the United States. Oh, Israel is such a dynamic nation. I mean, if you don’t think there’s a God who exists, just look at Israel. That’s a miracle. And I was really into after the Bible study. I was really interested in finding out more about Persia. when a member of the Bible study remarked that they didn’t realize that Iran had been a beautiful, educated society. That’s just like Lebanon. In the 50s, and that’s a country where Danny Thomas came from, I mean, it was gorgeous and lush. And then for some reason, all these… ISIS and Islamic terrorists moved in and destroyed that beautiful country. Well, the same with Iran. And so I began studying this because in the 70s, Oral Roberts’ son married Patty. And, oh, she has a tremendous voice. So I followed them for a while. And although they divorced eventually, I think in 1980s, they traveled all around the world. And Patty said in one interview, discussion that they had that iran was one of the favorite countries that she loved to go and sing in because they they were receptive they were intelligent they were bright and they were hungry for god well i i discovered you know when i thought wow what’s happening here i and uh When I realized that the idea we have of Iran right now is not what it used to be. In the 70s, women were able to attend the universities and enjoyed the fashions and the education that the world around them enjoyed. They did not go around totally covered in black. And I knew… I was thinking, now, Lord, how can I get hold of Persia besides having to go online? And so I knew that Esther, hello, if you know the word of God, you can go right to that in your mind and in your spirit. Holy Spirit reminded me that Esther was the queen of the Persian Empire. So it was to Esther that I went, and I discovered that Xerxes in the 400s B.C., and he was the one who made Esther queen and had an empire that extended from India to Ethiopia and had many men in charge of those provinces. He was the head, but he had many, many men. Now, Jerusalem during that time in the 400s BC, it was a tiny outpost. I think of these forts that we used to have in the West, tiny outpost in his kingdom, in his huge Persian kingdom. And Susa was the capital of Persia. Now, 115 years before Cyrus ruled, and he was one of the kings of Persia, Isaiah prophesied about him. Isn’t that amazing? Isaiah was prophesied about Cyrus through Holy Spirit who gave him the inspiration. And it’s in Isaiah 45, you’ll find this, that God calls Cyrus his anointed one. So Isaiah prophesied about him being the anointed of God because he did free the Jews from their slavery and provided support for them to go back to their homeland again. and build again Jerusalem and all the houses in Jerusalem and everything around. And so you can find that rebuilding Jerusalem. Okay, take a breath, Barbara. Sometimes I get so excited. Oh, I’m sure you do too. Jerusalem, during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra, was when it was being rebuilt. And Cyrus fought against Babylon and conquered Nebuchadnezzar. So Cyrus, the king of Persia, conquered Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Always fighting. Always fighting. And the Persian Empire lasted for 200 years before being defeated by Alexander the Great. The Persians worshipped everything God had created. Sun, moon, stars, trees, animals, everything that you can think of that the creator of the universe created. Yeah. And so I find that really interesting. People worship the things, but doesn’t that say that in Romans 1? We’re worshiping the created instead of the creator. That is so true. So he fought against Babylon and conquered Nebuchadnezzar. But the Persian Empire then, after the 200 years, was defeated by Alexander the Great. And I want to tell you that I might take most of this half hour, but I want you to know this is part of how we learn about praying for other nations, a people of other nations, cities in this country. We need to be knowledgeable about what’s going on. So the name Iran, dating back to 1000 BC, was known as the land of the Aryans. By the 4th century, and that’s the 300s AD, the term Iran was being used in writing and literature into the 19th century, 1800s. In the 1930s, steps began to be taken by Reza Shah, and that’s the father of the Shah who was demoted in 1979, to formalize the change in name from Persia to Iran. And the request came into force in March of 1935. The British requested to continue to use Persia as Iran was too similar to Iraq. and both countries were involved in the Second World War and occupied by the British, and Churchill cited worries that the similarity in name would be confusing. So here is Britain, top of the world. They owned more land in the world at the time of the American Revolution than any other country, and they continued to buy up land, Australia and all these Middle East countries. crux of all this. And in 1959, Reza Shah’s son announced that the terms of Iran and Persia could be used interchangeably in formal correspondence. Despite this, Iran has become the country’s dominant name, its official name since 1979, which translates as the Islamic Republic of Iran and was taken over by radical, radical Islamists. Right now, we want to hear an announcement from Travis.
SPEAKER 02 :
Want to stay connected with Freedom Street? Get the Freedom Street Express newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Explore our Voice of Freedom blogs and dive into Darren Carmack’s teachings, all at freedomstreet.org. Or just email us anytime at hello at freedomstreet.org. Freedom Street is a listener-supported ministry with no sponsors, and your donations make it possible for us to stay on the air sharing the good news of our freedom in Christ. Thank you for standing with us.
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, thank you. And we’re talking about Persia, talking about Iran and how this all came about. And you will know, some of you already probably know, what was the reason for all this strife? We were just saying that in 1979, Iran was taken over and called Islamic Republic of Iran, taken over by radical Islamists. And what was at the very root of all this fighting? Oil. Oil. That’s right. Oil was discovered in Persia in the early 20th century. That’s 1900s. And this development changed the political and economic landscape of the Middle East forever and the world, folks. We know that right now. The rest of the world paid Persian new attention, and the British were the first to capitalize on the discovery themselves. setting up the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in 1909, which took total control of Iran’s oil industry. Iran’s oil and petroleum industry have remained at the heart of internal and external politics ever since. And you know that. You hear it every night on television and how the gas prices are rising because the oil is being kept in the Hormuz port. Persia Gulf because nobody is able to go through. I just heard one tanker, one oil tanker did get through this weekend. So more and more are going to be flowing through Hormuz. The influence of Western powers in Iran helped lead a backlash in the formal of cultural cleansing and conservation and the formal establishment of Iran as an Islamic Republic. So it’s politics, folks. The West has as much to do maybe as Britain did, and we’re all in this together. And so there was a cleansing going on in Iran, conservatism was going on, and the establishment See, the Islamic Republic was getting more and more foot into that government. And for many modern-day Iranians, they desired what had been Persia. With memories of Persia’s past, Persian literature, poetry, art, and food are all recognized as a sophisticated cultural phenomenon. The Persian Empire was vast and complex, as we saw earlier. from Xerxes. It went from India to Ethiopia, huge province, 127. You’ll read that in the book of Esther, 127 provinces until Alexander the Great took over and got more territory. Then right before he died, he said, I have nothing else in life to live for. I have conquered everything.
SPEAKER 1 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 01 :
So Persia was vast and complex, a melting pot of religions, cultures, and civilizations, heritage in which people can find pride. The name Iran, on the other hand, is tied to the nation’s turbulent 20th century history. Reza Shah’s coup d’etat was directed by the British to be Iran’s head. So the British did all of that. They maneuvered. They They got this man in charge. He was a monarch. And even though he had a gentler government, it was not a democracy. And I believe now there are so many countries that are behind the United States of America and Israel that are going to be. asking for a democracy for this country it boy it needs it those precious people oh pray for the people of iran they need god and so many are turning to the lord it seems like in adversity we come to know the lord so directed by british this was iran’s real concrete stability The British and Reza Shah’s subsequent decision to rename Persia to Iran thus is associated with this defining moment in Iranian history. And the government, they were being overthrown by oil. It was oil. And there is a scripture. I don’t remember where it is. Don’t touch the oil or the wine. And it might be in Revelation. But I realize that those are times when we really need to thank God that we have a president who is wanting to free everyone to be able to enjoy the liberty that we enjoy. Oh, folks, I am so grateful. I truly am grateful for all that we have to begin with. And I just have a few minutes here. Last week, Kimberly posed a very important question that all of us must answer at some point in our lives. This one question, do you remember it from Matthew 16? Who do you say that I am? Is the one question that could help us answer all the other questions. When you answer that question, you will begin to build a spiritual identity in your life. And so many of us, we have a cart before the horse. We say, who am I? Why am I here? God, do you want me to succeed? Do you hear my prayers at all, Lord? When we should be asking, who are you, Lord Jesus, that I can learn more about you? It’s not about us, folks. It’s about him. And so identity, that’s an important thing in your life. Spiritual identity is more important than who you are in the physical on this earth. Identity is the reality that is your life. It is knowing who you are. without fantasizing or being in denial about your circumstances. Some people, they just ignore the bills. They ignore the rent that needs to be paid. They ignore going to work, and then they get fired, and then they blame their employer. So, folks, we’ve got to get into reality. Reality. And it’s not like those reality shows on television. No, I’ve never watched them. There’s a camera in front of them. And whenever there’s a camera in front of us, we’re not really our true selves. So knowing your identity involves your behavior. And it isn’t up to you to change all that. I want you to know that. When we get born again, when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we say, Lord, I want a new heart and I want a change in my life. I’m tired of who I am. And your identity is then changed by the power of Holy Spirit who is in you. The mindset on the flesh is death, but the mindset on the spirit, in the spirit, is life and peace. So we know Holy Spirit is such an important member of our learning. It’s just like a teacher in school or the professor in college. They are important, friend. And so Holy Spirit is more important than these people, although they were important. influential in getting our lives to where they are. Today, I heard this guy saying, well, Elon Musk is the greatest capitalist ever, and the Tesla is America’s car. Well, I beg to differ with him. I really do. What happened in the early, late 1800s and early 1900s was a result of Henry Ford needing, he had a concept of I don’t want to go on horseback. I don’t want to get the horses ready to go and the carriages ready. I want something that’s going to move with power that I don’t have to work at. And here was Henry Ford. And I’m sorry to say that, but there were many capitalists, people who started and invented things that just grew at levels, at different tiers. And I remind us of Thomas Edison. Without him, the light bulb would probably have been years later. But God just knows exactly who to give that wonderful inspiration to. And it comes from God, folks. So knowing your identity involves your behavior. But it isn’t up to you. When you say, Holy Spirit, take over my life. In you I live and move. If you’d say that with me every day, in you I live and move and have my being, then you’re giving yourself over to Holy Spirit to teach you, to guide you, to direct you. Your identity is concrete and unchanging even if you sin. Yes, your behavior is not contingent on your salvation. Or maybe I should say that the other way. Your salvation is based on your behavior. confessing and repenting and making Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord. That’s when you’re born again and God sees you born again. You don’t have to go back and, oh, I’m so sorry. Except when you do something that is unlawful or sinful, you say, Father God, forgive me. I am so sorry for what I did. And I know, Holy Spirit, you will help me to do better the next time. That’s how we get rid of all these old, ugly habits. So Holy Spirit will take care of our behavior when we stay in touch with him, which is part of our identity. Your identity in Jesus changes your behavior. And I’m so glad that Darren wrote that little booklet, Seven Steps to Inner Freedom, because folks, that’s what it is. It’s step by step by step by step process. Darren calls it process in his booklet. That was written in 1980, 81. So it’s a process. It’s a journey we’re in. And when you look at somebody and criticize them and judge them, they are at a different level than you are. And you should take them and love them and be concerned about them instead of putting them down. Well, they should know that. How? you may have had advantages that they didn’t have. And folks, I’m being really honest right now. We need to stop criticizing and judging and begin to love those people that are at a different level. Well, they’re believers. Well, they didn’t get a zap zap. Did you get your zap zap? No, you got it over the years that you spent getting to know the Lord, being in the word of God. So let’s quit criticizing each other. Oh, that day is going to come. I know it is. I know. I am just so grateful for those profound truths that we find in the word of God. And we all have different things we’re looking for in life. We go through different seasons. And I’m going to talk more about that tomorrow because I believe this is a very important issue in the church that is not studied that much. And we’ve learned all the stories about Daniel in the lion’s den and Noah and the ark and Moses and the burning bush. We’ve learned that for years. We’ve heard it for years and years. We’re going to go on to greater and better heights. And Holy Spirit is going to lead us there. So I hope you’ll join me tomorrow. We’re going to have a great time on this show. God bless you and keep you and take joy.
SPEAKER 03 :
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. 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.
