My friends we have a battle on our hands ... One of the great men of the faith in our time and our missionary to South America - Robert and Karyn Barriger are in a battle and we who are in covenant with them need to step up and fight along side them. Here's a copy of their email sent to me ... To our church family worldwide, and close friends, Last Friday afternoon, Karyn went to see a doctor to have a few checkups done, and the news that we got back was not good. Apparently they discovered that she has an advanced stage of breast cancer, and are having more tests done to see if it has spread to other areas of her body. She is taking this like a hero of faith. The nurses and doctors were very surprised as she testified of God’s love and faithfulness to them in the midst of receiving this news. The peace she has during this time is amazing. As for me and the kids, we’re still working through the emotions, but we’re getting better. Because the doctors want to do more tests and get her into treatment quickly, we decided to go away for a week to pray, and reflect on which steps to take. During this time, Karyn and I will be doing one of her most favorite things in the world to do, shop for the grand kids. She will have a blog up soon for those of you who want to keep up with her and this new faith challenge that we are facing. But more than anything, we ask for your prayers. I feel this is possibly just another thing to side track us from what the Lord is doing in Peru. Over the weekend, as we shared the news with our congregation in each of the services, and as I ministered, at times it felt like a train hit me. Yet, by the end of the service, dozens of people were coming forward to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. We are moving forward with the ministry here, and continue to believe that we will be able to purchase our building in the next few weeks. I believe God is big enough to do two miracles for us! Even now, we just found out that the President of Peru has called in some of Peru’s best doctors to oversee Karyn’s case. Amazing. Please pray with us. He is our Lord, and we love and appreciate our church family and friends. In Him, Robert Barriger
Paul Cole who is a friend said something today that made me think, "Covenant is always about warfare" When you are in a covenant with someone, you're in the fight with them. It may get bloody, it may get intense but you are "with them" because there's a covenant thing going on. There's no time for second thoughts or vasilating with opinions. When those that you walk in covenant with face a battle, it's not just their battle but it's our battle too. My wife and I have an expression. "Devil, you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us", We're stronger together then we are apart. It's about covenant, and covenant people fight together and win together. DAVID, THE COVENANT MAN David was a covenant man. He was in covenant with God. He cared about what God cared about. He was moved for the state of Israel [God's covenant people] and then there was Goliath and the Philistine army who had picked a fight with them. David must have said in his heart ... "I'm in a covenant with You God and when you pick a fight with God you pick a fight with me, when you pick a fight with God's people, you pick a fight with me" 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 17:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield [went] before him. 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 17:44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 17:46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. David was a warrior, he was radical and sold out. He had the spirit of an uncaged lion. When it was time to fight, it was time to fight. His enemies did not want to fight this guy. They said he was crazy [touched in the head / chaffed in the mind]. They said he was like a female bear that had been robbed of her cubs. Wow, what dedication, what focus, what passion. Because it was the covenant with God that drove him. He was bothered by the things that bothered God. 17:8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. and then again in, 17:10 And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which [be] with him [are] valiant men. We stand with Robert and Karyn, we fight boldly, we curse sickness and cancer. We stir ourselves as David did and get right in the middle of this thing with them, right in their fox hole. They are not alone in this ... How dare the enemies of God defy the armies of God or the people of God. We've got to see this thing right. We do not fight with fleshly weapons but with spiritual weapons that are mighty through God. We do not fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. We need to know that we are God's special forces and we are anointed for this. 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Brother's and sisters stand together with us, get right in the fox hole, get to praying, get to fasting, get to faithing. We we're made for this, our DNA is that of a warriors and winners. We are covenant people and covenant partners together with them. 42:13 The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. Blessings to you all! |
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