DEPRESSION

[Music] Welcome to Call to Freedom with Barbar Carmac. 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-powered 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. Welcome to Call to Freedom. Every day, that folks, that's every day we need to thank the Lord for giving us strength when we're weary. Oh, so many times and right now, some of you may really feel weary. Wearing us in your bones and your muscles and even in your mind because of what's going on in our country. But thank the Lord that He's giving us strength when we're weary. Hope when we're disappointed and peace when we're anxious. Oh, what a blessing He is for us. Every day, every moment of every day. You are blessed to dispense for in Him you live and move and have your being. And we now have Freedom Street.org. All, all just going. And you can go to freedom street.org and donate. Now, I found a couple who thought they gave on the donate button. They probably didn't follow exactly what was supposed to be followed. And so it came up on my email that it was 00. So you might want to go back if you donated. And you're not quite sure if your donation got through or not. And oh, I appreciate it so much. Go back and just check and see if your donation went through because everything else is just-- everything else is really good. So also you can go online and see the actual shows. My mind. My mind is just wonderful. My mind. I have the mind of Christ. Do you say that often? So Barbara, you have the mind of Christ. All right. Thank you, Lord. So if you can want to listen to previous shows, you can go to Freedom Street.org and click on the radio shows. Oh, God bless you for your understanding. You are such understanding people. And I want you to know, my hope is built on nothing less but Jesus' blood and righteousness. So in these days and this final day of October, we're never going to have 2024 October again. Nope. And the leaves are just absolutely beautiful. They're like a carpet, a golden carpet in my backyard. Just absolutely wonderful. Every season-- isn't it really great? Every season has its beauty. Every season, including the winter season. And it seems really long here in Colorado sometimes. But oh, such a blessing. And for those of you who love to ski and snowboard, it's coming. It really is. Well, Kimberly, you spoke so eloquently and succinctly yesterday. We are holding our breath to hear you again today on what you're going to say. Oh, no. Don't do that. Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe. And speaking of those different seasons that come to us, it is such a wonderful thing to know that God is the one that gives us our breath in every season. And there are some seasons that take our breath away. And that's a good kind of take your breath away. And there are other seasons that take your breath away in ways that we just weren't expecting. Like the rug just got ripped out from under you. Yes. And when we enter into those new seasons, entering in with hope, knowing that our God is able, not only can he move mountains and make a path in the sea for us to walk up-- not only can he do it, he will. He will do it. And so often things happen to us in this life that we're just not expecting. But learning to trust him through it all is so beautiful. It's so precious. There's so much peace and confidence that we gain when we realize that everything here really is temporary. And it's shifting and it's moving and it's changing. And there's a new season. And we can continue to grow, enjoy, grow in relationship with him and grow in peace. Yesterday, we were-- I really love the comment that you-- it was a temporary pastor or something, said at your church that don't pray for revival, we're in revival. And I was telling you this morning, Kimberly, about interviews of the man on the street and the blue collar workers. And they're talking about Jesus. I mean, I have never heard the name of Jesus spoken so much on television in interviews as right now. And so I see what you're talking about. I mean, people are recognizing the Son of God. Oh, Jesus. Yes, aren't we living in the best days ever? Yes, we are. Yes, we are. This technology, which it can be the bane of our existence. It can really work against us. You know, there's a lot of dark stuff out there, but you get to choose what you're going to tap into on that technology. And tapping into all these testimonies, people, truly finding Jesus, finding relationship with our creator and really wanting to be on board with him. You know, that is a fresh breath. It's a breath from heaven. Yesterday we were talking about the idea of a submarine being down, submerged, so low. And it only has a limited amount of oxygen. It is limited. And we, it can't just keep making its own oxygen down there. You know, at some point that submarine has got to come up for new resources and new fresh air. And we are the same in this realm. We're very, very limited people. And prayer being in relationship to God is like a conduit coming from above, down to our place, like down to that submarine, down submerged, and just pumping in the breath of God, pumping in fresh oxygen. And that's what happens when we stay in touch with God, when we are meditating on Him, when we're taking time to pray, taking time to just sit. I realized today that I was getting a little too distracted for me. And distractions are not bad. They can lead us to some really great things. But I needed to just sit for a little bit. And you know the thing that came up, just start coloring. Okay, I'll sit here and color for a while. Do you know how long it's been since I've colored? But wow, while I was coloring, I started really just tapping into the creativity of our father and how he has created so many beautiful things. And colors change. You know, the colors are changing right now and how he is able to do that and how he does that with every sunrise and sunset. And there is nothing that we have that he has not created. And we might think that we work really hard for what we have, that we work really hard for what we have gained for our homes and our cars and our resources and what comes into us that we've worked really hard. But it's truly just management. It's stewardship, it's governing, it's management. We didn't create any of that and would not be able to. So having a heart of Thanksgiving, because every good thing that has come to you is from the Father above. Yes. Every good gift, amen. From James. Oh, James is the first chapter of James is so good, Kimberly. Counting it all joy when we go through various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect result and see that's where I am. I'm trying to endure. So I'm wanting endurance to have its perfect result, making me perfect and lacking in nothing. Hallelujah. Don't we all want that? Yes. But we don't want to go through the endurance. Yes. Well, in the endurance, that whole season in itself will turn us toward the Father or we might decide that we don't want to be turned toward Him. That is usually because we're offended. We are somehow offended. When we get offended like that, we need to realize that we're offended at the one who has the best plans ever for us. You brought up Jeremiah 29 and 11 yesterday. He has got plans for our future that we can't even, it's never even occurred to our imagination how wonderful those plans are. And so when we get offended with those plans, we've got to find a way to forgive. It comes back to that place of forgiveness. Give up our own ideas for the sake of relationship with Him and letting Him have His dream come true. Letting these plans come because they're good. They're really good. They're so much better than we could imagine. And we could dream up on our own. We have very limited imaginations and we need, again, back to that submarine idea. We need His breath and His dreams and His imagination to be pumped down to us, down into this natural realm. We just can't conceive of it by ourselves. It's got to come from Him. Amen. That's right. So this morning we had breakfast together and that was so much fun. And I thought about some people that they wanted all the same around them. And you had oatmeal, delicious oatmeal from steel cut oatmeal. And I had scrambled eggs and sliced tomatoes and a biscuit that you had frozen for me in the freezer. So we all have different likes and we should be patient in everything that we do, not expecting the other person who loves Jesus to be doing things exactly like we are. Well, I want that oatmeal. I don't like the scrambled eggs. I want that oatmeal. And we got to really be content where we are, Kimberly. And not be always looking across the fence at somebody else's thing going on. Exactly. Yes. I found that if we are struggling to trust that what we have, that oatmeal that I have, is what I'm supposed to have for the day, not yours, scrambled eggs, when you are delicious tomato and the biscuits that I bake that I remember so well. Yes. They are. They are so good. But if I start coveting and I'm struggling to trust that what I have is exactly what I'm supposed to have today. And that's how God wants to show up in my life somehow, some way. Yes. So I'm struggling to trust that I wonder then if I need to forgive him. So if you are struggling today to trust God, I wonder if you need to forgive him for writing your story the way that he has written it for allowing your path to lead you to places that you would not have chosen. That's right. And those are hard places. Those are hard seasons to show up in. But when we do choose to trust that God is good, that we can't do what he is able to do, and we can't write the story better than he can write it. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He's the author and finisher of this wonderful dream that leads to promise land for all of us. That's right. It's like so many people when Jesus was there in around Jerusalem, they thought he was going to take over the government, Kimberly. They were so excited. He's going to be the ruler. We're going to have the greatest king ever, but God had a better plan and they were disappointed and they fled from Jesus when he was beaten. And we see that a lot of people have an idea of what's going to happen and when it doesn't happen, they get so dissolutioned. And even in the upper room, after Jesus rose, they were in the upper room. They were scared. The doors were all locked and in comes Jesus, the resurrected Lord. I mean, it was so much more beautiful than what they had even planned. Right. They never could have imagined it that way. They would not have dreamed it. Right. Yeah. And I love how the Lord uses things in this realm to put us on tilt. In John chapter 6, Jesus is really challenging people. John chapter 6 is a really interesting chapter about the bread of life. And Jesus calling himself the bread of life. And the people are asking for more bread because the day before he had just multiplied the loaves and fish and fed crowds of people. And they're so stunned by the miracles that come from his hand. And they just follow the miracles. But they're not following him for himself. They're following him for the miracles. And he knows their motives. He knows their agendas. He understands. And so he starts talking to them about being, he is the bread of life. And then where does this start? He starts talking about, we need to eat this bread. Verse 51, "I alone am this living bread that has come to you from heaven. Eat this bread and you will live forever. The living bread I offer you is my body, which I offer as a sacrifice so that all may live. And the words of Jesus sparked an angry outburst among the Jews. They protested saying, "Does this man expect us to eat his body? I just love how God messes with us. You know, our black and white. Our concrete thinking is so shaken by his ways that are so much greater." It is. It is. It is. It is his name. Oh, we're like this in the flesh. We are. Oh, listen. And the first thing we think about is something in the physical rather than being a metaphor into a spiritual realm that we haven't even gotten hold of. Yeah. Oh, it's beautiful. Yes. And so trusting God without having to have it all figured out ourselves, you know, that's. And that's the part of trust and forgiveness because they go hand in hand, right? Trust and forgiveness. I don't think you can really begin to trust anyone unless you have practiced forgiveness and really laid down your offenses. And also you can't. I don't think you can really continue in forgiveness without establishing some trust. You know, there's got to be trust that God really is working this for good because He is so good, so good. And so knowing that about Him, walking in that forgiveness and giving up our own ideas that are so black and white, that are so concrete, rational, right? We are rational people that love the logic and love to analyze things. We like it when it makes sense to us. And when that is turned on us and it doesn't make sense, it becomes really difficult to walk in that trust. Yes. But God does not need things to make sense. It doesn't make sense how He created a path in the ocean waters in the sea. You know, that doesn't make sense. How in the world do you do that? And it didn't make sense that He brought water from a rock that followed His people through the wilderness for 40 years. That's right. And supplied water to them. That doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense that there would be a cloud to shade them every single day for 40 years. That doesn't make sense to us, because there are so many other weather patterns that would just blow that cloud right out of the sky. But He was there cloud by day and He was there fire by night. That doesn't make sense. That the same pillar that was clouded by day was a pillar of fire by night. That's right. That doesn't make sense to us. So are we going to trust our senses or are we going to trust that God can work beyond this natural realm? I was reading in the end of chapter 6 in John. John chapter 6. Oh, let me start in verse 63. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives life. That which is of the natural realm, that's this realm, is of no help. That's right. And the words I speak to you are spirit and life. But there are still some of you who won't believe. In fact, Jesus already knew from the beginning who the skeptics were and who His traitor would be. Yes. And that's all folded into the plan. You know, sometimes when things don't work out and we have been betrayed in this life and things have crumbled all around us, it's hard to trust that God has a plan in that. Jesus, he knew what was coming. He still had to go to the Garden of the Gisemini. He was still asking for that cup to be taken. He did not want. Who of us could ever want? You know, when we find ourselves in these flesh bodies, we would not ever want to go through the kind of crucifixion that he went through. We wouldn't want to be blamed. We wouldn't want to be betrayed. And here he is in the Garden of Gisemini, there has to be some kind, some form of forgiveness in order to say, "Your will be done, not mine." Not my will, not my agenda, it's not my way of writing the story. It needs to be your way, Father. And so when we walk it out, it's so beautiful. In verse 65 of John 6, he went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one embraces me unless the Father has given you to me." And when I realized that I didn't earn that spot and I don't deserve it, and yet the Father has given me to Jesus. He has given me to Himself. He has given you. You're listening today and you are interested in relationship with the Lord if you're still hanging in here with us. And He has given you the freedom to choose, just turning your eyes to Him and leaning toward the light away from the dark and toward the light. We'll give you that place with Him where we can just live in gratitude and say, "Thank you. Thank you for the amazing gifts that you have put around me. Thank you for the ways that you have blessed me and given me a conduit to the heavenly realm that will keep breathing life and grace into my circumstances. I need that today." And I'm sure that when he was saying this, he was like a sword dividing people because the Pharisees were looking to kill Him. And the people couldn't believe that you could eat His flesh and drink His blood and we took communion on Monday and we know that that is true. We do eat His flesh and drink His blood. And it's really interesting that the most many of His disciples withdrew and were walking with Him no longer. And He knew that. He loved people being around Him. He was a people person. He loved having people around Him and loving on Him. And He knew that the words that He was saying, Kimberly, we're going to cause a sword of sorts to go through the crowds. So that's dividing. Yeah, dividing, yes. And so He was not trusting His popularity among the people more than what His Father was directing Him to do. And that is so important. That's so true. That brings me back. And I'm going backwards now in John. John 2. Yeah, John 2, 23 through 25 describes Jesus as He was gaining fame. And there were so many that were coming to Him followers, more and more people following Him. But Jesus on His part, I'm reading from John 2, was not trusting Himself to them. For He knew all men. And the message version says, but Jesus didn't entrust His life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn't need any help in seeing right through them. So the passion translation uses the word fickle. He knew how fickle human hearts can be. Yes, that's right. And you know what? This is written for us to understand it too. So many of us are looking for friendship, we're looking for a relationship, and we want to be able to trust somebody and human beings are fickle. And things change in life. You know, the way that we want to see relationships happen, we might find people that we can lean on, but guess what? That's going to be seasonal too. There's a season for everything. And things change in this natural realm. They change so drastically. Health issues can change relationships. And accidents can change relationships. And secrets from past can change relationships. So things happen in this realm that we can't lean on, but guess who we can lean on? Christ our solid rock. He is the one that we can lean on. And he knew that about his father. You know, he is turning our eyes to the father constantly. Everything that we experience in this life is to draw us more close to the one we were made for. There is a bigger dream than anything that you've dreamed of in this world and in this realm. And we want that dream to come true. And it's a big one. It's a big one. God does not wish for any to perish, not even the wicked. It says this in the Word of God. We can read it in first Peter, we can read it in Ezekiel. He does not wish for any to perish. That's a big dream. That's huge because there are a lot of people who aren't choosing him. As we walk out his plans for us individually and as we lean toward the light, we are his light in this world. And as we pray, prayer does change things. You know, it brings the other realm into this realm. And as we pray for people's eyes to be opened for ears to hear, as we pray that God would continue to pull out those stony hearts, the hearts that are hardened, pull them out and replace them with hearts of flesh. This is what he wants to do. And he wants us praying and speaking with him in agreement with him. And that causes the really big dream to come to pass. How exciting to be swept up into something so much bigger than this realm. Oh, it's so true. It really is, Kimberly. And I know that it's important for the listeners, for you who are listening, not to put your hope in something in this world. I mean, your hope, your trust and all that you are in this world. But in the God above who created you and who knows what's best for you. Thank you, Kimberly. Yes, let me just end with, Lord, where would we go? No one but you gives us eternal life. And we're fully convinced you are the anointed one, the son of the living God, and we believe in you from John 6, verse 68 and 69. Oh, that's beautiful. Well, I encourage you to read John 2 and then go to John 6 and read that long chap. It's beautiful. It's a long chapter. It tells you how in this life you can't depend on man. Man will always run to you if you look good, but to depend on God. He is the creator. He's the one who knows you very best. Thank you so much, Kimberly. Oh, God bless you and keep you and may we come together next week knowing that he is able to do anything we ask him of. Thank you. God bless you and take joy. Thank you for listening to Call to Freedom with Barbara Carmack. You may get in touch with Barbara at Call to Freedom, box 370-367 Denver, Colorado 80237. Or you may leave your message at 1-877-917-7256. Call to Freedom is a listener supported radio ministry. Barbara and her power partners invite you to come on board with us and become a network of hands holding up Call to Freedom Ministry. Power partners support Call to Freedom with Prayer and Monthly Financial Support. You will be blessed supernaturally. We invite you to visit Call to Freedom's website, www.freedomstreet.org, where you can hear Barbara's daily radio broadcast 24 hours a day or order materials. You may share your phrase reports in heart prize by mailing them to Call to Freedom, box 370-367 Denver, Colorado 80237. Or you may email us at Barbara Carmack at FreedomStreet.org. Until next time, remember Jesus loves you, Barbara loves you, and take joy. [Music]