From The Pastor’s Desk
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Bishop Randy Barnett,
Oklahoma
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DO THE WAVES
EVER STOP?
“Daddy, does the sea ever run out of waves? Little
Tommy asked as he sat gazing out over the vastness of the ocean.
“Oh no” his father replied “they just keep rolling in and they never end; the wind drives the seas and that makes the waves roll onto the shore.”
This morning I sat on my balcony looking
out over the
As the sea is unpredictable at times and can erupt in storms, so is life. Not every morning can be that perfect sunrise like it was for me this morning. There will be times of testing that will try your spiritual resolve and challenge your faith. (John 16:33) The skies will be dark and seem foreboding and the lovely sunrise seems just a dream never to be enjoyed again. At times like this remember this is all perception. You perceive the darkness and the impending danger of the storm and at that moment in time they seem bad to you; however, there is something that has not changed and that something is the key to everything in your life. That something is the faithfulness of your Father in heaven who loves you so very much and has set things in place to preserve you and keep you through the darkest hours.
Feelings of fear or anxiety that happen in the dark are merely perceptions. The thought that another beautiful morning watching the waves gently roll in will never happen again is only a perception. Perceptions are how you view things and what you think about them. In other words, perceptions are your internal responses to external circumstances. A perception is the way you feel about whatever you are seeing or experiencing, but it actually is not real. What is real truth; the truth is God loves you so much He has set you in a bubble of protection. Read about your bubble in Psalm 91 and rejoice in the truth that good things lay ahead for you no matter how things may appear right now.
Whenever I talk about perceptions my mind invariably goes to the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. (Daniel 6) There is no doubt in my mind that the perception of doom was at hand for this young man as he felt the hot breath of those hungry beasts and their deep-throated growls; however, his faith was the conquering force that overcame the perceptions of death. He lived through that hellish situation to give you yet another illustration to cement this powerful truth in your mind and in your heart. The Word of God is filled with promises made by God to you that are your keys to winning the battle against perceptions. (II Corinthians 1:20)
We Christians must adjust our thinking to conform to the Word of God. If you will do this perceptions will not rule you; external circumstances will not affect how you feel or what you think because your mind will have been trained to think like God. For example, when those dark days happen, (and they will) despair will not dominate you because you know what God has told you, “…the darkest hour is just before the dawn.” You see, truth alters your thinking and guides your perceptions to conform to God’s thoughts. It is good to remind yourself that truth is the Word of God; (John 17:17) therefore, truth must be the dominant force within you. The apostle John tells you,
John 8:32
“You
shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
That is how powerful truth really is! The key for you is getting truth in you to such a level that it dominates your thinking; it will keep in check those perceptions that otherwise would cause you fear or pain.
I have often been asked how one can get to the point in his spiritual life in which we are so tuned into to God that the hot breath of the beasts pales to the powerful promise of life made to us by God. My answer is always the same: fill yourself with the Word of God until it dominates your thoughts and dictates your life. (Romans 12:1-2)
It is good to remind yourself where unholy perceptions come from, they come from none other than the evil one. That simple reminder helps you reject thoughts that do not align with the Word of God. Once you determine the origin of wrong perceptions, you have the power to do something about them knowing from whom they come. You are given two very powerful weapons that defeat your enemy, Matthew 18:18 reveals these weapons to you, they are binding and loosing. The act of binding is literally forbidding something from happening; this is done as you verbally declare the Word of God against the forces of evil aligned against you. The act of loosing is releasing into existence the wonderful blessings God has promised to you. You bind the devil from operating against you and release the angels of God to battle on your behalf. Remember: each of these actions are performed with your words.
So, I return to my fifth-story hotel balcony to watch more waves roll in, I remind myself that all my days in the future may not be this beautiful and serene, but the good news is that my Father has set things in place for my benefit and that I will always be led in triumph in Christ over carnal perceptions. (II Corinthians 2:14) Now that is good news!
Bishop Randy Barnett
