Tom Barnard

“In general and in particular I have learned the secret of facing either plenty or poverty.

I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me.”

(Philippians 4:12, 13 - J.B. Phillips)

“Don’t surrender leadership of your life to negative facts,

negative faces, negative fears—or a negative faith.”

Robert H. Schuller

Is there such a thing as “negative faith”? Yes. It is the mistaken belief that the pain you are suffering is God’s way of punishing you for the mistakes you have made. Do you remember the hue and cry yeas ago from some quarters of Christianity that insisted that AIDS was God’s punishment for drug addiction and homosexual behavior? Then AIDS became an epidemic in some parts of the world where neither of these life styles was present in significant ways.

The Apostle Paul understood that poverty and plenty occur everywhere. Their existence does not make blame or blessing the explanation for either. Paul understood that when Christ lives within, He gives strength to a person to not only survive, but to succeed. The enemy of our souls tries to get us to believe that negative facts, negative faces, negative fears, and negative faith are inevitable. Nonsense! The Devil lies! Sing these verses with me:

Would you be free from your burden of sin?

There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood.

Would you o’er evil a victory win?

There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?

There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood.

Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide.

There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Lord, I want to be “ready for anything” that comes my way. I cannot do this in my strength alone. I must have your presence living within me by the power of your Spirit. I am tired of living under bondage to negative influences and people. I surrender them to you now. In faith I affirm that God is able to do what is needed to lift me above the circumstances of my life. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

You have just read Friday Evening for February 22, 2008. To subscribe to this free weekly devotional, send your name and email address to Dr. Tom at barnard22@cox.net. Back copies of this publication may be accessed at the following website: www.emfsprayerandpraise.com.