Welcome

Welcome to Barnabas Notes. The title of this site comes from the Biblical character of that name who was a companion of the apostle Paul on his first missionary journey and whose name was actually Joseph. He was called "Barnabas," which means "son of encouragement," because of his ability to bless the lives of others. We hope that this blog will be such a blessing in your life!

A peaceful spring on the Macedonian side of Lake Ochrid in the Balkan Mountains

Monday, April 23, 2007

For the Love of the Church

The apostle Paul wrote about the things that he had suffered in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. I have to tell you, when I read the list of things he suffered for his faith, it makes my puny little complaints seem to evaporate. I have not suffered physically like he did. However, there is one part of this list that I can, at the very least, begin to understand. At the end of his list of trials, Paul said, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28). If you love the church the way a Christian must love the church, you know what it is like to have concern for the church.

Christians must always have a concern for the bride of Christ, the church, the kingdom of God, the household of the living God, the temple of God. We understand that. However, there is a growing concern for the church today that she is being threatened from within. Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of Hades would not overpower it (Matthew 16:18). That statement was and is true. Even if the enemy is able to infiltrate the hearts of Christians and lead them out of the grace of God so that they lose their souls forever, the church is not overcome because of the faithful who remain and the faithful who have already gone to their reward (Revelation 2:10). Still, anyone who pays attention to the growing dilemma in the church today cannot help but be concerned.

I want to offer a little encouragement here to those who are suffering through the attacks of the enemy on the church of our Lord. The first word of encouragement comes from one of you who put this in a way I had not thought of, but it truly encourages me. The church is His bride, not mine; our Lord Jesus Christ will take care of His bride. Remember that. Jesus is not blind nor is He just waiting patiently (and dispassionately) until the church (and each member of the church) decides what it is going to do. He is not going to let the faithful down. Second, remember those passages we noted a moment ago. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

You and I, as members of Christ’s church, have a job to do. Our job is to remain faithful and to help our brothers and sisters remain faithful, among other things. When false teachers appear in our ranks (and the apostle Peter said they would, 2 Peter 2:1) we must oppose them. We will have that concern for the churches that Paul speaks about, but know this: we do not fight this battle alone! There is Someone fighting alongside us Who is more powerful than our enemy and if we remain faithfully at His side, we will not lose this battle!

Go back to that passage in 2 Peter. Verse 1 says: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Did you catch that these false teachers come in among us and secretly introduce heresies? The do not do it openly. Many of those who are hearing false doctrine today think they are hearing “nothing unscriptural.” That is why it is so important to search the Scriptures daily to see if these things be so (Acts 17:11).

Notice how God is dealing with this problem. Peter wrote that these false teachers are bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Now, it may not seem very swift, but that is only because we are applying our own understanding of time to the problem. You may rest assured that God is in control and that destruction, when it comes, will be swift and decisive and, sadly for those who do not repent in time, eternal. In the verses that follow 2 Peter 2:1, Peter shows that God has always been in control and no one in history has been able to “get away with” the sinful lives they lead and the righteous who have been afflicted by such unrighteousness have been rescued. Peter said all of that to say that God …knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties (2 Peter 2:9, 10).

The “daily pressure of concern for all the churches” is going to continue if we remain faithful because we are going to care what happens to the bride of Christ. However, we can be encouraged to know that the Bridegroom is equally concerned about His bride and not just sitting idly by. In order to be faithful, every one of us must resist the enemy and fight against the attempts to defile the pure and holy and blameless bride (Ephesians 5:26, 27), but take courage. God is fighting with you and if you remain faithfully His, you will win! He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The Blessings of Suffering

You would think that a newsletter dedicated to encouragement would say something like “the suffering is going to end,” wouldn’t you? How encouraging is it to tell someone who is suffering to just “grin and bear it”? Well, on the surface, not very! Still, there is encouragement when we realize that our heavenly Father has made provision for us to be able to endure and even thrive while suffering in this life (James 1:2, 3).

Yes, it is true that someday the suffering will end for those who are faithfully united with Christ. A day is coming in which God will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). “There’ll be no sadness, all will be gladness” in heaven. However, we are not in heaven yet, are we? Many people are all too well acquainted with that fact; perhaps some of you. I take great comfort in knowing that God is with me until the end (Matthew 28:20); that He makes sure that I do not suffer more temptation than I am able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). But there is one passage that speaks directly to how we should suffer and the blessings involved in suffering the right way, that I find especially encouraging.

Most of us are familiar with “The Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3-12). We could spend weeks studying the depth of this passage of Scripture. There is much wisdom here concerning many aspects of everyday life, but let’s stay on the subject of how to suffer and the blessings involved. The first three beatitudes have to do with suffering more than those beatitudes that immediately follow. In verses 3-5 we read that there are blessings involved for those who voluntarily take on the qualities of poverty of spirit, mourning and gentleness (meekness). Perhaps you have heard it explained that the word “blessed” means “happy,” but let me assure you that it is not a happiness as the world understands happiness. The world thinks of happiness as an emotional response to, or determined by, circumstances. If someone knocks on my door and presents me with a “big ‘ole” check for $10,000,000.00, I am going to be happy because of those circumstances. Jesus uses a word in the beatitudes that describes a happiness in spite of circumstances. It is happiness on a much deeper level than the world generally thinks about. That is the only way to be happy in mourning.

“Poverty in spirit” is not depression. Depression is a humbling or “lowliness” caused by circumstances. Poverty of spirit is a voluntary humility or “emptying of self.” See Philippians 2:5-8. “Mourning” is not just sadness, but sadness on a level that requires action. It is the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11). "Gentleness” (meekness) is a word worthy of a great deal of study. It involves humility to a great extent. It involves self-control. It is the quality of keeping your own wants and desires in check for the good of another. We sometimes call Moses the “father of the meek,” but not because he was a weakling (read Exodus 32:19, 20 if you think he was weak). Moses was more concerned with God and His Name than he was about anything to do with his own life.

So, what we find is that the first three steps on God’s ladder of success are downward, not upward. Interesting, isn’t it? But now, catch this point. God does not just leave us in the basement. James writes that if we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up (James 4:10). And the point is that only by God lifting us up can we get where we need to be.

When I teach a series of lessons on the beatitudes I make the point that when you talk about voluntary poverty of spirit (emptying oneself), it is a lot like making yourself a doormat. Well, you know what happens to a doormat, don’t you? It gets stepped on. And that hurts; sometimes a lot. The last beatitude addresses that one little problem.

I count Matthew 5:10-12 as one beatitude. You can count it as two or three if you want, but look at these three verses very carefully. When you make yourself a doormat, people will step on you. That won’t be fun, but there is a blessing here, too. There were (and are) people doing the right thing (righteousness) and suffering for it; being persecuted for it. And Jesus says they have access to that deep level of happiness that the world doesn’t understand. Why? Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven, that’s why! But Jesus continues. He says that sometimes the persecution is going to come in the form of insults and people falsely saying all kinds of evil against us because of Jesus; because of doing the right thing (righteousness). And here, too, is that deep happiness. Now He tells us how to approach this kind of suffering; what attitude to have. He says, “Rejoice and be glad…

What??? I thought I was supposed to moan and groan, to gripe and complain! No, that’s the world’s response! Christians are supposed to “rejoice and be glad” and He gives a reason. Not only can we have that happiness that is deeper than any worldly happiness, but we can take comfort in the fact that we are in good company “…for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I have to tell you that it is harder for me to endure it when people insult friends of mine than when they insult me. I don’t mean that insults do not hurt me, because they do. I do mean, though, that when you insult a friend of mine, you have stepped much further over the line (in my mind) than when you just insult me. Still, I must resist the temptation to lash out and realize (and make sure my friends who have been insulted realize) that there is a blessing for us. God is with us. We are in good company. You may have some difficult circumstances to deal with this week. There may be people who are going to insult you and say all kinds of evil against you on account of Jesus, but you hang in there! You may get stepped on by a lot of muddy feet (that is as insulting as I choose to get this morning toward those who persecute us), but don’t give up! God is with you and loves you more than you can know in this life and so do I.

Donnie Bates

What's Up, Doc?

As is the case with most preachers, I suppose, my ministry has been full of opportunities to sit with, cry with, minister to and encourage families suffering through the hospitalization of loved ones, frightening diagnoses and heartbreaking prognoses. And, like every other person on the planet, I have had to deal with the same things in my own family. Sickness and death are a part of life in this world and we have to deal with it, but sometimes it gets really, really hard to know how. I have to be honest with you (don’t panic, I’ve been honest in all the other notes, too), but I do not have a magical incantation that I mutter that takes all the pain and anxiety away. I do, however, have some encouragement that will make the pain and anxiety somewhat easier to bear.

One of the truest statements I ever personally heard was what a nurse said to my family and me when my mother was in the hospital for heart surgery. He said that the next few hours were going to be a lot harder on us than on my mother. Boy, was he ever right! Even though the operating room staff called us every hour or so to give an update (and every report was good and encouraging) those hours of that surgery were pure agony. We sat around and talked and joked and did everything we could to do what none of us expected to do; take our minds off what was happening in the other room. And we prayed. We prayed as a group out loud and we prayed as individuals to ourselves; and we prayed throughout the whole surgery. I do not hesitate to say that the Lord heard our prayers that day and gave us a favorable answer.

But sometimes it does not happen that way, does it? Sometimes an elderly loved one is stricken down with an illness and even though the family and the church pray continually, death is the outcome. Sometimes it is not an elderly loved one, but one stricken down “in the prime of life” by an accident or an illness and again, though heaven be flooded with prayers, a life is ended. What then? Some react angrily, blaming God and giving up on the notion of prayer. What do you do when you pray and pray and the answer comes back, “No!”? You keep praying, that’s what!

When someone you love is on his or her deathbed, you pray “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When the doctor comes in with the test results and says someone you love has a few more months to live, you pray without ceasing. When that terrible phone call comes in the middle of the night and one of your children has been in an accident, you pray without ceasing. And when the last enemy we will face in this life (death) wins a battle and a loved one dies, you pray even more because you need it even more.

The apostle Paul said that death was an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26) and I would never disagree with someone inspired by the Holy Spirit, but death is not the only enemy at work in situations like these. Our true enemy is Satan and when tragedy strikes or threatens, he is at work trying his best to convince you that God will not take care of you. And many, many people fall into the trap of thinking he is right. They blame God. They give up on prayer because “it doesn’t work or Mom would not have died!” And they fail the test and they lose the battle.
When you find yourself suffering through what every family of man has suffered and will continue to suffer until the Lord returns, take the necessary steps to give yourself the best chance of enduring with a sound faith. Pray…pray without ceasing!! Pray believing that you will receive what you ask (Mark 11:24). Pray in faith without doubting (James 1:6). And tell your concerns and fears to your brothers and sisters in Christ and get them praying, too. Know the truth and the power of James 5:16: The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. It has always made sense to me that if that verse is true, imagine what can be accomplished by a whole room full (or church full) of righteous people praying. And when those times come (and they will come), times when all the prayers that are offered cannot stop what is appointed for every person, pray all the more that God will help you through the death of a loved one. My word of encouragement to you this week is that through the most difficult times, do not give up on God because He has not given up on you. He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Monday, April 9, 2007

At the End of My Rope

Sometimes I feel like nothing ever goes right in my life. Every little thing makes me angry and when I’m not angry, I’m depressed. In my more lucid moments, I realize that I’m just being selfish and that seems to make me even more depressed. My mind struggles with what I should do. I’m not helpless to the point that I cannot reason, so why can I not think of an answer? Why can’t I get my attitude where it should be? Why am I like this?

When I consider what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:14-25, I realize that I am not the only one who suffers like this. And, I don’t really think that Paul and I are the only two, either. I have generally found that I am enough like everyone else that if I preach sermons I need to hear, most everyone else benefits, as well. The same is true of this battle with depression. Now, I realize that some suffer from depression more than others and some suffer from clinical depression and need professional, medical care. Please do not take what I say here to mean that I do not think there is a need for professional help for the clinically depressed. I am speaking more to the spiritually depressed; those people like me who occasionally get “down,” feel self-pity and who need a little encouragement to get their ship aright or their act together as the case may be.

If I will think this through, I will remember Paul’s words in Romans 7:24,25: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” That is the main bit of encouragement we need to get us out of the doldrums. However, there are some other things from Scripture that will help.

Some time ago I read an article written by Neal Pollard in the Gospel Gleaner quarterly, entitled: “God’s RX for Depression.” It is an excellent article and I want to give this brother credit for a job well done. In his article, brother Pollard gives a 3-part plan for handling depression. I have found these things to be true in my own life, but I didn’t think to write them out this way. First of all, Find Someone to Serve. A few weeks ago I was in a foul mood. I did not know why and that just made my angrier. I finally decided I would find something nice to do for someone else and guess what…it worked! How many times do we find Jesus at a particularly stressful point in His life, turning to the multitudes and healing all kinds of diseases and feeding the hungry? There is something cathartic about helping other people.

Second, Find Some Time To Meditate. By meditation we mean, of course, meditation on the Word of God. The further you get from God the weaker spiritually you are going to be. Every one of us needs to be spending more time in the Word of God, especially when we are depressed and the whole world seems to be falling apart. Brother Pollard points out: “Meditation works! Delight follows meditation (Psalm 119:15-16). Strength follows meditation (Psalm 119:27-28). Depression may be defeated by saying, with our deeds, what David wrote, ‘Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the Lord’ (Psalm 104:34, NASB).”

Third, Find Some Thing To Eliminate. Brother Pollard suggests eliminating doubt, or dread, which is a good suggestion. Both doubt and dread suggest a lack of faith in God. Remember, before you can ever be filled with Christ you must empty yourself. Something in you is causing depression; get rid of whatever it is and give yourself completely to Christ. Your problems won’t necessarily go away, but you will have much more ammunition to use in dealing with whatever this life throws at you.

God is for you if you are with Him. And if God is for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)? You can and should have a great week because God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

A Glorious Life

One of the most inspiring passages of Scripture to me is 2 Corinthians 3. Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to know that he considered them and the work he did among them as adequate testimony of his faithfulness. He did not consider that he needed letters of commendation from anyone. His work spoke for itself. He was confident in Christ.

You may not feel confident. I know I sometimes do not feel I have confidence through Christ toward God (2 Corinthians 3:4) because of the things I do or say or think. You might think it all well and good for Paul to feel confident, but he was Paul! He was an apostle! “He wasn't like me!!” Spend some time reading Romans 7 if you don’t think Paul suffered through the same kind of turmoil in his everyday life that you and I do. Paul’s confidence did not come from his apostleship in some miraculous or automatic way. He did not consider himself adequate in himself, but his adequacy was “from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Here is the thought I want you to begin your day with: Your adequacy is from God, too! Paul draws a contrast in this chapter between the old law and the new law; the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ. The old Law of Moses came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (2 Corinthians 3:7). It was full of glory and yet compared to the Christian life, Paul called it a “ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7). And if that old “ministry of death” had all that glory, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit (the Christian life) be filled with glory? How much, indeed!

I want you to notice just how Paul describes the Christian life in the next few verses: For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory (2 Corinthians 3:9-11). How many times does he mention “glory” here?

I know it’s hard to remember passages like this when the going gets rough, but we have to try. There are times when life seems too difficult. The demands of faithful Christianity are too demanding (we think). The temptations of life are too difficult to resist. Or so they seem. In reality, they are not! The devil has done a good job of convincing us otherwise, but we can have confidence. Yes, even a spiritually broken-down old horse like me or you!

Did I say “confidence”? Yes, confidence! Confidence is a difficult commodity to have or to hold on to, I know, but it is available. I can look my enemy straight in the eye and tell him to give it his best shot. I do not have to worry about the devil winning over me. I can have confidence that I will win over him. The writer of the book of Hebrews says we can enter the holy place (the presence of God) with confidence (Hebrews 10:19) and that we should draw near to the throne of grace to find grace to help in time of need...with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). And Paul says that because of the hope we have within us, the hope of eternal life, the hope of salvation and the love of our heavenly Father, we can speak out with boldness (2 Corinthians 3:12), “boldness” and “confidence” being the same.

When you look at the week ahead of you, what do you see? Do you see intimidation? Do you see weakness? Do you see temptation? Do you see an enemy standing before you, ready to torture you and make you give up your faith? Well, take a good look at the glorious life of a Christian, then, look that old devil in the face and spit in his eye! He cannot touch you! He can tie you to a chair, tie your hands behind your back and hit you with everything he’s got and you can still laugh at him because of the glory of your life in Christ!!! Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Wait for the Lord

It is a scary world we live in. On September 11, 2001 the World Trade Center was destroyed and the Pentagon attacked. The “War on Terror” continues in Afghanistan and Iraq. Violence is on the news in other parts of the world. The news is full of accounts of children being abducted (thankfully, some have recently been found alive and/or have escaped their captors). Yes, it is a scary world!

We do not have to look far to see several who would harm us if they could. Some of them are terrifying. It may be that someone is intimidated by a boss or a co-worker; perhaps someone at school scares you to death. When we watch the news and see what is happening around the world and around the corner, it is hard not to be a little frightened. Parents in the United States are paying closer attention to where their children are (or they should be). As a missionary (and I’m still a missionary at heart) I think about what it would be like to be on the street in Jerusalem, Kabul, or Baghdad right now. Scary! Still, someone has to be in those places or in those situations. Those things that terrify us across the globe make up everyday life for the people who live there. And the things in your everyday life that terrify you would probably terrify others, too. I have to admit, so far this “word of encouragement” is not sounding very “Barnabas-like,” is it?

Well, there is good news. Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled (1 Peter 3:13, 14). I know it sounds trite and easy to say, but it’s true! What harm can really come to us if we are zealous for what is good? I don’t mean that our hearts won’t break when some of the things that happen in this life happen to us. Those of you who have lost children know the deep and awful pain the parents of those recently in the news are going through. I do not for one moment want to give anyone the impression that there is no pain involved in this world or that if you feel such pain, you have no faith. Of course there is pain! But it cannot overcome you if you refuse to be overcome!

Are you familiar with Isaiah 40:31? It says: Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Did you ever wonder about mounting up with wings like eagles? Pictures flood our minds of soaring high, presumably high over those things which threaten us. Rather than being overcome, we overcome. That is a very good way to understand the picture being drawn here. But did you ever wonder what happens to the eagle when a storm threatens? Not far from where my family and I used to live in Colorado is Gore Canyon. The Colorado River runs through it. There are cliffs in that canyon that rise 3,000 feet straight up. There are a lot of golden eagles there. If an eagle is caught on the face of such a cliff when a storm strikes, it could be thrown into the mountain and killed, except for one thing – God has given the eagle the instinct to set the attitude of his wings to allow the updraft of the storm to carry him up and out of danger. Do you see the comparison? It doesn’t matter whether you are talking aeronautics or life in general; attitude is the key.

I once heard a character on a TV program say, “Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” There may be some truth in that, but Scripture says it also builds character. James wrote: Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2, 3). Adversity will produce endurance, if we will endure it with the right attitude.

If my boss or co-worker or teacher or acquaintance threatens me, or if my friend hurts my feelings, I have to set my attitude so that the threat itself lifts me out of danger. If some catastrophe were to befall a member of my family, I would have to set my attitude so that the threat would not overcome me, but lift me out of danger. If I find myself on the streets of some city anywhere in this world and my life is threatened or taken, who could really harm me if I prove zealous for what is good? What really is there to fear? Nothing! Hallelujah, praise Jehovah!!

Take care and have a great week because Jehovah loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Salvation of the Lord

“What are we supposed to do now, huh Moses?” You can almost hear the sarcasm that must have crossed the minds of at least some of the cynical among the Israelites. It had been a hectic few weeks. First, Moses showed up after forty years and told them Jehovah had remembered them and would set them free. That got everyone excited. Pharaoh, on the other hand, had a different plan. He made them work even harder. Thanks, Moses! In the end, after a monumental struggle of wills, Pharaoh was beaten and the children of Israel marched out of Egypt leaving that country in ruins. The only thing the Egyptians had left was the most powerful army on the planet. And now, that army was hot on their trail and had the Israelites pinned against the Red Sea with nowhere to run. You know some were sarcastic to Moses because of what we know they said: Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11).

Have you ever had your hopes built up for something really great and then had them dashed before your very eyes? I used to know a fellow who would answer the question, “How are you?” by saying, “Fine, but I’ll get over it!” Now, he was joking and I thought it was funny, but some people really do look at life that way. They are afraid to get their hopes up because they just know those hopes will be dashed. Have you ever had your back up against the wall with nowhere to go?

Listen to how Moses answered the fear of the people: But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent” (Exodus 14:13, 14). Did you catch that? Here is the formula for their deliverance: 1) Do not be afraid! 2) Stand by – don’t run! 3) See the salvation of the Lord! 4) Keep silent!

The first thing we do when victory seems about to be snatched away or when we have our backs against the wall and there is no way out is…fear not! I love 2 Chronicles 20:15: and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’” Wow! The battle is not yours, but the Lord’s!!

The next thing we have to do is stand still, or do not run. This battle may not be ours, but we cannot run in the face of the enemy. We must trust in the Lord, even when we do not see the salvation yet.

The third step in this formula is to see the salvation. The apostle Paul promised that part of God’s care to see that we do not suffer more temptation that we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) is that He provides a way of escape. We must be looking for that way of escape to avoid temptation. When our backs are against the wall and the whole world (it seems) is against us, God will take care of us, but it takes spiritual eyes to see it. In other words, your salvation may not come in physical form. You may die, but if you are faithful unto death, He will give you a crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Do you see the salvation? Do you see (understand) with your spiritual eyes that God is in charge of the situation?

The fourth thing Moses told the people to do was to keep silent. Have you ever noticed that you cannot hear very well when you are talking? My ears work a lot better when my mouth is shut! Scripture tells us that the tongue is a terribly destructive thing when misused (James 3:5). Amazingly, it causes no damage when kept behind the bars of a clenched jaw. Do not challenge God! Do not hold out your innocence as a reason why you do not deserve to suffer this problem or that calamity! You and I do not have anything to brag about or complain about. We have been given an opportunity to be children of God; to be under His protective wing.

Do you remember those mean old Egyptians that were coming after the Israelites? You know the story, don’t you? God parted the sea and the Israelites walked across on dry land. The Egyptians followed, but God caused the wheels of their chariots to swerve and made it hard for them to drive. When the Egyptians realized that God was fighting for the Israelites they tried to go back, but it was too late. Jehovah had Moses stretch out his hand over the sea and it returned to its place drowning all the Egyptians. Look what happened next: When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses (Exodus 14:31).

Have you ever seen the salvation of the Lord in your life? Let me challenge and encourage you to not be afraid, stand by, see the salvation of the Lord and keep silent before Him! If you do this in faithful submission to His will as outlined in Scripture, you and He are one unbeatable combination! Your enemies do not stand a chance. Remember, God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

The Lord Goes Ahead

Did you ever count how many times the Bible says, “Do not fear,” or “Do not be afraid”? The exact number of times is…a lot! After Moses told the Israelites that God had told him he would not be crossing the Jordan River, he called Joshua, the son of Nun, and commissioned him to lead the people of God. Moses told him: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:7, 8). I love that passage!

Think for a moment what Joshua was being asked to do. He was to lead a nation of refugees, over a million strong, into a region made up of several established nations with standing armies and fortified cities and kick them all out! This nation of refugees had proven themselves more than capable of being a handful for their leader. In fact, for almost forty years now, these Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness, forbidden by God to enter the land of Canaan, precisely because of their rebellious attitude. They gave Moses fits. Granted, after forty years in the wilderness, being cared for miraculously by Jehovah God, the people’s faith had grown, but this was still no easy task. And Moses says, “Don’t be afraid!”? Yeah, right!

However, did you catch Moses’ reasoning for saying not to fear? Joshua did not have to be afraid because the Lord was going ahead of him. If you are a running back in football (American football for those of you outside the United States), how would you like your lead blocker to be the Creator of the universe; the One Who can command the opposition (or even the grass) to get out of your way and it has no choice but to obey? I’m not talking about anything miraculous in the application for us today, but imagine…the Lord goes ahead of His people.

I hope no one misunderstands what I am saying here and thinks that God will condone sinful behavior. God does not go ahead of you or me in endeavors opposed to His will. God did go ahead of Joshua, but when Joshua led the people away from God, or when they abandoned God, He did not remain with them. Notice Joshua 7:12, where God says to Joshua: “Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.” Moses told Joshua that he did not have to be afraid because God was going ahead of him. Now, God tells Joshua that He will no longer be with him unless there is repentance. That translates into, “Joshua, unless you and the people repent, be afraid…be very afraid!!!”

Look what happened next. After Joshua and the people repented and the offender was punished, we read: Now the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land” (Joshua 8:1).

What does all that have to do with Barnabas Notes? It strikes me that there are a lot of people in this world who are faced with some rather daunting tasks; in fact, some tasks that appear downright impossible to accomplish. If those tasks involve fulfilling the will of God in your life, hear Moses’ words that we read from Deuteronomy 31:7, 8. If you are guilty of sin then the words of Jehovah in Joshua 7:12 are vital for you to hear and understand. And when you repent, take Joshua 8:1 to heart. The particulars of what is required for true repentance are different for us now than they were for Joshua and the Israelites. Those particulars are found in the New Testament and are not difficult to understand, but the principle is true for all. The life every person leads is difficult at times, but if you step out in fellowship with God (according to His definition of fellowship with Him), you do not have to be afraid of anything, as long as you remain His. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God loves you so much? Well, He does and so do I.

Donnie Bates

The Return of Barnabas

OK, it's "word eating" time. The last time I posted anything on this blog I said there would be no new posts here. Well, I changed my mind. I'm allowed to do that, am I not? After a month and a half of not posting on this blog, it occurs to me that Barnabas Notes might do more good if we keep this format alive. So, I'm going to start posting these notes of encouragement again.

Right now, the whole set of Barnabas Notes in included in Volumes I and II. The set can be purchased by visiting http://donniebates.com and following the link to "Barnabas Notes." I will also be starting Volume III in the very near future. It is my prayer that these articles will some good for those who read them and bring honor and glory to God.

God bless and know that He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates