Single and Single Again

I’m back…..

Jimmy Barnes — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:59:56 +0000

Sorry it took so long to update the site…between weddings, funerals, floods, and everything else in between I am finally able to update.

Last Monday, October 5th, I received an email from Good Samaritan Baptist Mission (www.goodsamaritan.ms), announcing a missing trip for March 2010 to Honduras & Nicaragua. I had the opportunity to go on a trip back in 2005 and have been wanting to return ever since. After I received the email, I decided that I was going to go on this trip….if it was God’s will. All week, I have been praying and all week God has been talking back to me. Yesterday, the morning sermon was a definite confirmation that it is His will for me to go on this trip. So please keep me in prayer because I will need to start fundraising soon.

The name of the sermon yesterday was ”What is being a missionary all about?” The main points were as follows and the focal scripture was Mark 16:15…I added a few more scripture to go along with it:

Missionary work is about going into ALL the world
Missionary work is about preaching the gospel
Missionary work is about reaching ALL people.

Mark 16:15 And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Matthew 28:19-20 go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

John 14:26 But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, who the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remember, whatsoever, I have said unto you.

John 4:35-36 Say not ye, There are yet four months and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields,; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gatherest fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

thanks in advance for your prayers!

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Sorry….

Jimmy Barnes — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:58:54 +0000

I hope to update the blogsite today….with weddings, and funerals, and floods and people on vacation it has been quite hectic for the past couple of weeks. Hope to be back to normal soon! Love ya’ll!

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Song Story

Jimmy Barnes — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:56:40 +0000

This morning I was listening to J93.3 on the way into work and they were asking for people to send in their Song Stories. These are songs that you have heard and have become your anthem so to speak with what is going on in your life at the moment. When my wife was first arrested and there was so much anger built up inside me my favorite song at the moment was by Pink called “So What”….I loved it..can’t explain it. Later on as I was moving forward with life I heard The Crabb Family sing Through the Fire and I wept for about an hour after I heard it. I looked up the words to the song later on and they just gave me goose bumps.

So many times I’ve questioned certain circumstances or thing I could not understand. Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision and my frustration gets so out of hand. Its then I am reminded I’ve never been forsaken I’ve never had to stand the test alone as I look at all the victories. The spirit rises up in me and its through the fire my weakness is made strong. WOW….that right there put my whole first six months into perspective. Because I was so hurt & angry at her and so many other situations that occurred during that time, I truly was never alone. I did question the circumstances and just didn’t understand how it could be happening to me. Weakness did blur my vision and my frustration was more than out of hand…it was over the top times 50. I was not alone through it and God proved that to me over and over….he cleared my vision and calmed my frustration.

Now that was just the verse….I haven’t even gotten to the chorus yet. He never promised that the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb. He never offered our victories without fighting but he said help would always come in time. Just remember when your standing in the valley of decision and the adversary says give in. Just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again. Double WOW!

Lets just say my cross flattened me and my hill became the rockiest cliff there is. lol. I struggled so many days just to get out of bed, let alone keep my head up….but He helped me with both. I still think back to when it all began that I could have gone the other way so many times. I could have been angry at God for letting this happen and just go the complete opposite of God. But I was stronger in my faith than I thought. It wasn’t His fault and he proved to me that it wasn’t my fault either. I stood in that Valley of decision so many times and yes that little adversary was right there on my left shoulder and my right shoulder yelling in my ear, but I definitely heldon and he showed up and took me through that fire.

I absolutely LOVE this song. If any song can be labeled as my anthem through my wife’s arrest and then my divorce then this song is definitely it. What song is your story? I would love for everyone to share it with me on this blogsite. I look forward to hearing from you all. Take care this week and may God bless you throughout the week!

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Peace

Jimmy Barnes — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:36:05 +0000

Peace: calm repose: eternal rest (after death); free of strife or discord; harmony in personal relationship especially with God.

As you may know, my divorce was granted this past Wednesday. The divorce was not messy like so many are but now I can finally have peace and be able to move on. It is so hard to have peace these days when you are dealing with people of the world (as well as some Christians). The day after the divorce, my ex-mother-in-law (boy I like saying that) started sending me nasty emails making some pretty bold accusations that I never loved her daughter….as well as some other derogatory comments. I could have come back with sooooo many nasty remarks to her, but its just not worth disrupting the peace that I now have. People can say what they want about me whether good or bad, but I have great pride in the harmonious relationship with my Lord and Saviour. I am at peace through God and with God. Is my life free of discord? absolutely not, because I am still human. But because of my relationship with God, I am able to make peace quicker than letting it boil-up inside me. Peace is hard and takes a lot of work, but God will get you through it and will allow you to have peace in your heart….you just have to allow His peace to take you over.

Numbers 6:26 The Lord life up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally brethren, farewell, Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath brown down the middle wall of partition between us.

Posted in Peace Tagged: Peace

Alone

Jimmy Barnes — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:03:14 +0000

Last night, I talked with a friend who is originally from Indiana and lives here ALONE. We work together and have become good friends mainly because we are both single and both live ALONE. Living alone is nice but being alone is sometimes scary and depressing. Just in the last year that I have been single, I sometimes throw myuself into my work so that I don’t have to go home and be ALONE.

However, as Christians are we ever really alone? Of course not…God is with us ALWAYS. I talk to Him as if he is sitting at the end of the couch (although my neighbors probably think that I am nuts). God is with me always and He is my friend, Father, Lord, and confidant.

God also puts people in our lives with same or similar circumstances and sometimes with many differences. As Christians and as singles we need to be looking out for one another. Being single is not all about finding that special someone….its about finding that special someone and developing some friendships along the way. If you know of another single person at work, church, or school then meet them, talk to them, and listen to them….you could very well make their day and not make them feel all ALONE in this world.

Posted in Alone

Heal & Bind

Jimmy Barnes — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:55:43 +0000

Psalms 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. So many people read this verse and can not put life experiences with it. However, very few of us know exactly what this verse is saying and what it represents to us.

Last August, my life turned completely upside down. I could have bailed on my wife but because I am a Christian I stood beside her as a friend. She took advantage of not only me but also my feelings but God wanted me to stay by her side through it all. I look back and wish I would have done some things differently but if I had then I would have been disobeying God.

God took my hand on August 19, 2008 and held on to me and is still holding. I still think that sometimes he had me by the collar too, but no matter what he walked me through the fire. My heart was broken, smashed, and in a million pieces, but He took a little twine and sewed it all back together.

Wednesday, August 26th is the day of my divorce hearing. Am I estatic….yep. Am I proud of where I am today….ABSOLUTELY! God would not have made it any different for me. He helped me survive…He healed my heart and He made it whole again. We have such an amazing God that He can put you through quite a mess and then walk you out of the other side.

Posted in Heal & Bind Tagged: Bind, BInding, Heal, Healing

Prayer

Jimmy Barnes — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:51:18 +0000

This coming up Wednesday will be the 1 year anniversary since my ex’s arrest and my world turned upside down. I am so amazed at how God walked me through this entire year. There were times that I was lonely, hurt, betrayed, angry, and every other type of emotion you can think of….but God got me through. One thing that stood out the most for me during this time is the love and encouragement that everyone offered and most of all the many prayers that people sent up for me. For that I am so grateful because there was a time during this horrific period that I didn’t even know how to pray. I wasn’t mad at God or anything, I was just prayed out….mostly didn’t know what to pray for anymore. Last week, I talked about Encouragement which pretty much goes hand-in-hand with Prayer. Praying for someone is always the best thing you can do for someone. As someone who has been on the receiving side of prayers, it is awesome to see how the power of prayer works. Listed below is just some basic facts about prayer that we all sometimes forget. They are simple and to the point and probably something you learned in Sunday School a billion years ago, but we all need a reminder every once in a while. I always like going back to the basics.

Prayer…….

Who to? Your FATHER (Matthew 10:30; Matthew 7:9-11)

Why do we pray to Him? He knows what we need (Matthew 6 :8) He is the God of the Universe, to have a relationship with Him, and request God to affect our behavior.

What for? (Matthew 6:10) The purpose of prayer is to glorify God. The practicality of prayer is that we can be aware of anything that will disgrace his name, anything that will disrupt his will on earth, and anything that distracts another believer. The personal aspect of prayer is we focus our attention first on God and then we talk with Him personally about our daily needs and spiritual needs of forgiveness and of the flesh.

How come? (Matthew 6:13b). We have someone to talk to about everything. It gives us a thankful heart. We have peace with God and it glorifies God.

P-ut it right—confess to God any wrong things you’ve done

R-aise Him up—-Thank Him for the good things He has done for you.

A-sk Him—-Ask Him to help the people you care about.

Y-ou—-Let Him know what is on your heart and ask Him to help.

Posted in Prayer Tagged: Pray, Prayer

Encouragement

Jimmy Barnes — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:37:17 +0000

Yesterday at church there was a visitor who I knew from a previous church that I had attended. I went up and spoke to him during the welcome time and he said we could talk after church. After church, I started talking to him and soon found out he is separated from his wife and family and is literally at rock-bottom. He is staying at a local extended stay motel and walked to church that morning. He had been out of church for 3 years and it took him being at his lowest point to walk to the closest church. He came looking for a friend and left with a new church home and a little encouragement from myself and my pastor. As a new member of being single myself, I knew what he was going through and what he needed. It was definitely God’s way of saying that a Singles Ministry is needed.

As singles, we should encourages others as we would want to be encouraged. 9 out of 10 of us have been there and bought the t-shirt most times. So why not take our life experiences and use it to help someone else. We need to embrace each other with love but most of all support each other. Is there someone at your job, church, gym, school, apartment complex, neighborhood, or even family that is going through a rough time? Even if they aren’t going through a rough time but are single? Have you prayed for them? Have you encouraged them?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:11-23 we are encouraged to encourage others. Below is a Checklist for Encouragers based on these verses:

v. 11 Build up each other–point out to someone a quality you appreciate in him or her.

v.12 Give honor to leaders–look for ways to cooperate

v. 13 Think highly of leaders–withhold your critical comments about those in a position of responsibility

v. 13 Give wholehearted love–say “thank you” to your leaders for their efforts.

v. 13 Avoid quarreling–search for ways to get along with others.

v. 14 Warn the lazy–challenge someone to join your project

v. 14 Comfort the frightened–encourage those who are frightened by reminding them of God’s promises.

v.14 Tenderly care for the weak–support those who are weak by loving them and praying for them

v. 14 Practice patience–think of a situation that tries your patience and plan ahead of time how you can stay calm

v.15 Resist revenge–instead of planning to get even with those who mistreat you, do good to them.

v. 16 Rejoice– remember that even in the midst of turmoil, God is in control

v.17 Pray Continuously–God is always with you—Talk to Him

v.18 Be thankful–make a list of all the gifts God has given you, giving thanks to God for each one.

v.19 Do not smother the Holy Spirit–cooperate with the spirit the next time He prompts you to participate in a Christian meeting.

v.20 Do not scoff at those who prophesy–receive God’s word from those who speak for Him

v. 22 Keep away from evil–avoid situations where you will be drawn into temptation.

v.23 Count on God’s constant help–realize that the christian life is to be lived not in our own strength but through God’s power.

Posted in Encouragement Tagged: Encourage, Encouragement