Trust in the LORD: Faith, Resilience, and Divine Assurance

SPEAKER 04 : 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. 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 02 : 1:04

Thank you, Jimmy, and welcome to Call to Freedom. I know this studio is kind of empty now without Kimberly here, but I know that you’re here listening with me, so I’m thankful. I’m so glad that you’re here. Our hearts can rest peacefully. Oh, what a beautiful word, peace. Oh, he said, Jesus said, my peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. So our hearts can rest peacefully in the promises of God. And wow, that’s what I stand on. I stand on every day of my life. I stand on that word. Praise the Lord. You are blessed to dispense for in him you live and move and have your being. And with all the excitement regarding the hockey teams, oh, after I got home yesterday, I mean, one newscast after another was about the gold, the hockey teams that made gold, both men and women. Oh, they won gold. You know, after all that excitement, there are those who are hurting. There are those that are hurting, and we need to cry with those who cry, laugh with those who laugh, yes. And I was touched by the plea from Savannah Guthrie this morning, as she and her family have accepted that her mom, Nancy Guthrie, may be dead as the search for her mom enters its 24th day. She says, Hi there, I’m coming to you to say it is day 24 since our mom was taken in the dark of night from her bed. I just can’t grasp hold of how evil and wicked some people are. And every hour and minute and second and every long night has been agony since then of worrying about her and fearing about her, aching for her, and most of all just missing her, not being able to hug her, hold her again. We know the millions of you have been praying. So many people have been praying for every faith of every faith and no faith at all. And this is from Savannah Guthrie. We feel those prayers. Then she added, we also know that she may be lost. She may already be gone. She may have already gone home to the Lord who she loves and is dancing in heaven with her mom and her dad and with her beloved brother Pierce and with our daddy. And if this is what it is to be, then we will accept it. But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home. Savannah then shared that she and her family are now offering a reward. of up to $1 million for any information that leads them to Nancy’s recovery. You can tell, and you can call the 1-800 tip line, and probably if you’re watching news at all, you’ll see that tip line, or you can go online to get that tip line. And you can be anonymous. Someone out there knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows, and we’re begging you to please come forward now. What a heartfelt, touching message, one that is filled with love for her mom, but also acknowledgement of God. I pray that anyone who knows anything will get in contact with Savannah and her family and be brave enough to divulge information that they desperately need right now. Oh, when I think about the loss in people that, even cold cases, so many hundreds of cold cases. I remember when a member of our church, yep, our church in Greeley, Janelle Matthews, was abducted from her home. Janelle was 12 years old. And she had just sung with her choir at a concert, a Christmas concert, at the First National Bank in Greeley. And my dad actually attended it. And this was in Greeley, Colorado, and she disappeared on December the 20th, 1984. Her remains were not discovered, not 1985, not 1986, not 1987. Oh, and some of us prayed, oh, Father God, bring her home. And even years afterward, I was asking God to reveal Janelle to her family who were hurting so much. 35 years later, her remains were discovered on July 24, 2019, by construction workers installing a new pipeline 15 miles from her home. Do you think that’s a coincidence? No. She needed to be uncovered. And Stephen Pankey, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on October 31st, 2022, after his arrest and trial for Janelle’s murder. Now, this is kind of unbelievable, but Steve Pankey had attended our church in Greeley. So he knew of the Matthews. And what a twist. What a real twist to this case. I remember the prayers that went up for safe return of Janelle, but it didn’t happen. And lives were changed forever, forever. Her mom and dad, after they found Janelle, out that she was pronounced dead probably several, maybe 10 years later. They went to Costa Rica, and they were missionaries there for a while. And her older sister got married, and she moved out of Colorado too. And I can’t blame them at all, no. What a hard thing to go through. Folks, when terrible things happen, we must go to the Lord and get solace from him. We don’t know why bad things happen to good people, but we do know that there is evil in this world. Evil. And the devil is out to kill, steal, and destroy. You know part of the devil’s name, E-V-I-L, D-V-E-V-I-L, evil. It’s evil. But our Lord Jesus has come through with redemption and victory over all the power of the enemy. And you can find that in John 10, verse 19. That’s why I am reminding you to cover yourself and your family every day with the precious blood of Jesus. He came to redeem us from the curse of the law. Anoint your home often. Get some anointing oil or if you don’t have it, olive oil in your home. Bless it in the name of Jesus and go to every place that it opens to the outside. Anointed above with the cross. Darren and I did it so many times that people that come into our home, they see that black mark above the door of the cross of Christ. Oh, it’s it has blessed my home. It blesses me, and I know it will bless your home. I do know that the minute Janelle’s body was dead on this earth, that she was in heaven with the Lord. And there is a scripture that says to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. And we do know that if Savannah’s mother is no longer on this earth, that she is with her Lord whom she loved. What a reward for those precious souls. It’s time that you tell others about Jesus so that if something ever happened as it happened with the Guthrie family, you will know where your loved one is or you will know that you have told people about Jesus. It’s time, friends, to witness on this earth. As Habakkuk said in chapter 3, and I was talking about that yesterday, yes, I will exalt in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength and my deliverer. and he has made my feet like hinds feet and makes me walk on my high places when the devil wants you down in the gravel groveling for everything you get no haha we walk on the high places with jesus in fact we are seated with him in the heavenly places it says in ephesians two and that’s exciting my friends because we see a way out of the distress that tries to surround us on a daily basis For instance, you may see a spot on your body that wasn’t there yesterday and wonder, oh, is it cancer? Or you may get a notice in the mail for hundreds of dollars more than you have in the bank. Oh, that has been an issue with me. Or you may receive a downer email from someone who you thought was your dear friend. These are times that you dig down deep into your spirit and pull up those life-giving words from the Bible, words that will take you to the heights, words that David and Habakkuk told us as we overcome the unexpected things that try to invade our lives and cause worry and anxiety to take the place of peace and rest. You don’t want anything to take the place of that peace and rest that God has given to you. Oh, wow, Lord, just when I was getting a hold on resting in you, here comes this bombshell. We can’t say those words. No more. You are resting on the heights with the Lord Jesus. Here are the verses for this week that you can meditate on and proclaim victory in the trenches. David is saying in 2 Samuel 22, For you, O Lord, are my lamp. The Lord lightens my darkness. For by you, I run through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. That’s what David says. He learned early that his God was in a place where he could rest and have peace because the way to God is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried. And you’ll find that in 2 Samuel 22. Verse 31, praise the Lord. He is a shield to all those who trust and take refuge in him. For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock except our God? God is my strong fortress. He guides the blameless in his way and sets him free. Verse 34 of 2 Samuel 22 says, he makes my feet like Heinz feet. firm and able. He sets me secure and confident upon the heights. He trains my hands for war so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. Do you know when you lift your hands, when you extend your arms up into the air, you’re praising and acknowledging that Jesus is Lord. You have victory right there from the praise and worship that you give to God. Oh, Father, your condescension and your gentleness have made me great. I have enlarged my steps under me so that my feet have not slipped. And I say that to you, my dear friends who are older, your feet shall not slip. You shall not fall down. You shall not break anything in Jesus name. Amen. Verse 38 of 2 Samuel 22 says, And I take every thought, every thought, friend, every thought in your mind. You cast it down if it has no positive evidence in that thought. You cast it down and you take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ because he’s the word. He’s the word. The one I look to for comfort and assurance. And again, who are your greatest enemies? I’m asking you, who are your greatest enemies? Doubt, fear, and unbelief. Yep, got to get rid of them. Doubt, fear, and unbelief. That is so important that you really trigger in on that evil trio, doubt, fear, and unbelief, and you get rid of them in Jesus’ name. 2 Samuel 22, verse 39 says, I consumed them and thrust them through so that they did not arise. They fell at my feet, for you guided me with strength for the battle. Those who rose up against me, you subdued under me. Now, King David at this time was getting older and his soldiers says, we don’t want you going back out into battle. There’s a time in your life when you have done the battle, but you no longer have to because the hosts of heaven are helping you. to gain that harvest that God promised you from a life of wonderful faithfulness and duty to him. So David stayed within Jerusalem after these verses. And he said, when you guided me with strength for the battle, he knew now that his men, his soldiers, his armies would go out and defeat the enemy. Your biggest enemies, my friend, are not on the outside. They’re on the inside. Fear, doubt and unbelief. And boy, they give you a battle. I mean, every day I’m casting them down. I cast you down in the name of Jesus. And that’s the battle you overcome by the word of God and assurance that he is with you. For instance, fear. And every day I usually I’m saying scriptures all the time. I want you to know that. But God has not given you that spirit of fear. No, he hasn’t. He’s given you power, love and a sound mind. Remember that second Timothy one seven. And you overcome all this by the word of God and assurance that he is with you. Oh, praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy are everlasting. Remember, heaven and earth will pass away. But God’s word is forever and ever, ever and ever. He is with you. Here’s an announcement for FreedomStreet.org.

SPEAKER 01 : 14:51

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 02 : 15:14

Praise God. Thank you, TJ. It’s a blessing to be working in a Christian organization. It really is. I feel the peace when I walk into Crawford every day, and it’s a blessing for me. And I know some of you don’t work in those kind of environments. But you can ask God to be with you and surround you like a supplement. You know, these capsules we take, the supplements that we take, they’re surrounded by this wonderful little capsule. And you can be feeling that and sensing that as you walk into your place of employment. We know that when we go to work, we’re not always going to be working for Christians. But wow, we can be witnesses just by our standing in the Lord. And here it says again in 2 Samuel 33 through 36. God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as sure-footed as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. I don’t know if you’ve been into these canyons in Colorado where you see the mountain goats. I mean, they climb sure-footedly up these steep inclines, and they’re so confident. Oh, it’s a blessing to watch them. I’m so glad we’ve seen them over the years. He trains my hands for battle. He strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. And you have given me your shield of victory. Your help has made me great. I know that in verse 35 of 2 Samuel 22 says, that when I go into that verse, he trains my hands for battle. John used to say that when he was playing the piano and going up and down the keys, as I will have him do that today. And it’s amazing how the playing of that piano brings victory all the time. It brings you into a sense of glory today. Glory, Lord, you are with me. You are with me all the time. Praise the Lord. Now, there’s a verse in Proverbs that most of us know, and it’s Proverbs 3, 5 through 6. And when you’ve given donations, I know that a lot of you put Proverbs 3, 5 through 6. And what does that say? Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not under your own understanding. Now, here’s another translation. Trust in the Lord completely and do not rely on your own preferences or your own opinions. Boy, a lot of people have their own opinions, don’t they? With all your heart, rely on him to guide you and he will lead you in every decision you make. Yes, he will. Amen. Even the smaller ones, friend, don’t be afraid to ask him, Father God, do you want me to go to the grocery store today or do you want me to stay home? Do you want me to go to the mailbox? I ask that every day. Do I go today? No. Okay. All right. I will not go today. Become intimate with him in whatever you do. and he will lead you wherever you go. Don’t think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that’s wrong. Then you will find the healing refreshment your body and spirit long for. Now, your body, if you’ve asked Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, your spirit is now completely whole and complete. It’s sanctified. But your body is not. So the healing will come to your body as your word. You begin to pour that word into your soul, into your spirit. That body is going to come alive. It really is. In Romans 8 verse 11, that same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, that’s Holy Spirit who lives in you. He shall quicken and make alive your mortal body. That’s Romans 8 verse 11. When we are leaning on our own opinions, we get caught up in our own knowledge. We forget that the way and the truth and all things pertaining to life is a relationship. It’s Jesus, not worldly knowledge, not more understanding from the world. When we are in relationship, our Lord will share truth with us that defies what the world tells us. Deuteronomy 33, 25 through 26 tells us, And as your days are, so will your strength, your rest and security be. There is none like the God of Israel who rides the heavens to your help and through the skies in his majestic glory. This verse is saying that as we age and increase in the days and years, so will be our strength because we find our strength in the Lord. Your strength will increase too. What a wonderful promise. What a wonderful promise. And we know that when we glorify God with our wealth, with our giving, honoring him with our first fruits, with every increase that comes to us, every increase. every dollar that comes into my hands, then every dimension of your life will overflow with blessings from an uncontainable source of inner joy. Praise the Lord. Oh, I want you to listen to this song. Oh, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heavens. Here’s John.

SPEAKER 03 : 20:35

O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in the heavens. There is no God like Thee.

SPEAKER 1 : 21:04

O Lord God of Israel There is no God like Thee in the heavens There is no God like Thee in the earth O Lord God of Israel

SPEAKER 03 : 21:49

To thy servants who walk before thee with all of their heart. There is no God like thee in the earth O Lord God of Israel That keepest covenant and showeth Unto thy servants who walk before thee with all of our hearts. O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee. There’s no God like He in the earth O Lord God of Israel

SPEAKER 02 : 23:35

Amen. Oh, that was a prayer of Solomon, King Solomon, at the dedication of the temple in 2 Chronicles 6. Oh, and as you trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, God is going to come in and glorify his temple. Who’s his temple? We are now. We are now his temple. Holy Spirit lives in us. Jeremiah 17, verse seven says, blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. And in the message translation, it says, blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the man and woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees planted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers and rivers represent life here, rooting ourselves in the tree of life. Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through the droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season. This tree of life does not hold any regret or guilt or shame or fear or doubt or unbelief. Only the tree of knowledge brings regret. guilt and shame. So I can say with you today from Isaiah 40, have you not known, have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not faint or grow weary. There is no searching of his understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary and to him who has no might. He increases strength. Yes. When you ask for it, God, your father will increase the strength that you need to walk somewhere or to run somewhere, to do your chores or to do your work. Even youth shall faint and be weary and young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted. But those who wait on the Lord, I know some of you know this verse, those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. See, the power from God is going to come on you and you will renew your strength and the power of God will rise up within you. And you will be as eagles who fly up to the sun and they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint or become tired. I don’t know if you’ve seen eagles, but boy, Darren loved eagles. We saw many eagles. We’d go up into Wyoming. That’s where they fly. Oh, they’re beautiful. And near Estes Park, up in the mountains. And if you ever see an eagle and you’re driving, just get on the side of the road, stop, and watch them circling. They’re majestic. Well, that’s the way God sees us with his power and his glory in us. We can do the impossible, my friend. With man, it’s not impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Thank you for joining me today. God bless you and take joy.

SPEAKER 1 : 27:02

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SPEAKER 04 : 27:23

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 : 28:30

Thank you.