Author Archives: Barbara Hayes

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;” Pro. 3:13

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.“

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” Pro. 1:5. It is good to share your insights and the wisdom of things you have learned.

The Book of Proverbs speaks of wisdom and the importance of gaining as much as possible and reaching for more. Wisdom, as used in this book (Proverbs), means living and thinking according to God’s truth, ways, and design.

If we trust God and obey Him, our Father will direct our paths into the blessings He has planned for us.

Gaining knowledge is far better than possessing silver and gold. Having the things money can buy is good, provided we don’t lose the things money can’t buy. What good is an expensive house if no happy people live within it? Happiness, pleasantness, and peace aren’t guaranteed byproducts of financial success, but they are guaranteed to the person who lives by God’s wisdom.

Wisdom becomes a “tree of life” to the believer who takes hold of her, and this is a foretaste of heaven (see Rev. 22:1,2).

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | TWSB | FLSB

AND YOU WILL FIND ALL THAT YOU HAVE LONGED FOR.

MY SOUL THIRSTETH FOR GOD. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God.” Psalm 42:1

Water is essential for the satisfaction and wholeness of life. True believers will hunger and thirst for God and His grace, blessing, and supernatural activity.

1. To stop thirsting for God is to die spiritually; thus we must not allow anything to diminish our intense desire for the things of God.  Beware of the cares of this world, the pursuit of earthly things, and the pleasures which choke out hunger and thirst for God and the desire to seek His face in prayer (Mark 4:19).
2. We should pray that our longing for God’s presence might be strengthened, and our love for the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit might be greater. Our passion for the fullness of Christ’s kingdom and righteousness might be deepened until we cry out to Him day and night in a heartfelt thirst, even as the deer “panteth after the water brooks” in times of drought.

We must seek the LORD while He may be found. As I pray, I delight to do the Father’s Will for there is fullness of joy in His presence.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

SY Jesus Calling | FLSB

Gen. 12:1

When God says go, we should prepare to leave without question. Despite what it may look like, grab what you can and move.

God may be telling someone to move on to the next thing or to trust Him in a new adventure. Hesitation has caused many to miss out on their blessings from God.

When the LORD spoke to Abram (Gen. 12), He called him to leave everything—home, family, land. If whomever was not ready when he stepped out in faith, they were left behind.  Abram moved forward without even a roadmap to show where he was going.

Recall when God spoke to Noah about building an Ark (Gen. 6:14), without instruction or the reason why he should make something of that magnitude. Noah began to build, not knowing what lay ahead, and because he listened his family was spared from the death of a watery grave.

Isn’t the sacrifice worth the blessings of God?  It’s your time, go and get your blessing!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbar Hayes

TWFYT | FLNKJV

The Concept of God and Confidence

Some say that expectations from God can be shaped by faith in God and knowledge of God’s will—hope and future, strength, rest, love, peace, and meeting one’s needs. Therefore, if your faith is strong expecting good things from God is not unforeseen.

Why does God pay attention to frail creatures of dust, which we are?  In the book of Genesis 1:27, it is written, that He has made them in His image, and they are special!  Instead of humans being “a little higher than animals,” as science believes, they are actually “a little lower than the angels.” Psalms 8. 

If all you expect from God is from your forehead to the tip of your nose, then your expectations of God are very short-sighted.  God made a promise to mankind eternity and all His expectations are that we, “Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.” Ecclesiastes 12:13. Is that asking too much of His children?

In my own personal experiences, I know that if I keep my trust and faith in God, whatever I need, and if it is in the Father’s Will it shall come to pass. It may not be when I believe I should have it, but in God’s own time as He has never come short of His promises.”

“You are one of God’s children whom He loves, so as best we can, try to be like Him.  Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.” 1 John 2:6. Expecting Good Things From God is not uncommon for those who believe.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | HSB | TWSB

Jesus, He is the Lover of my soul. He took my place back at Calvery, only He hung on that old rugged cross. He died so that I might live.

He died so that we might live. This is the positive aspect of our identification with Christ: We not only died with Him but we also were raised with Him so that we might “walk in the newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

Because we have died with Christ, we can overcome sin; and because we live with Christ, we can bear fruit for God’s glory (Rom. 7:4).

He did what no one else could or ever do. All that He did was because He thought we were worth saving, so He died so that we could live. He thought that we were worth it all and that we deserved a chance, so He sacrificed His life.

He is The Lover of our souls!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

SY Jesus Calling | WSB

AFTER THIS MATTER … PRAY

Prayer involves the worship of the heavenly Father. As Father, God loves us, cares for us, and welcomes our fellowship and intimacy; through Christ, we have access to Him at any time to worship Him and communicate our needs to Him. God as Father does not mean that He is like an earthly father who tolerates evil in his children or fails to discipline them correctly.

God is a Father of holiness who must oppose sin. He will not tolerate evil, even in those who name Him as Father. His name must be “hallowed.” Hence, as a heavenly Father, He can punish, bless, withhold, and give, act with justice and mercy. How He responds to His children depends upon our faith and obedience.

Every child of God should have someplace to be alone with God. Unless such a place exists, secret prayer will not be long or consistently maintained.

• Steal away to your personal space.
• Do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen does. Why? Because they think they will be heard because of their many words. So do not babble on, and on.

Talk to God, and tell Him all about your needs. He already knows what you require, even before you ask, therefore be open, be honest.

With the model prayer of Matthew 6:9-13, the LORD Jesus indicates areas of concern that should occupy prayer. The prayer contains six petitions: three concerned with the holiness and will of God; and three, concerned with our personal needs.

At times Christ prayed all night long (Luke 6:12). Do you have a place where you can pray?

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | FLSB

REJECTING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS!

Trust Me in all your thoughts.  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Ps. 20:7

The Word of God helps to overcome thoughts of negativity. It addresses fear, self-doubt, and self-criticism.

Phil. 4:8 says: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in Me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Whenever doubt clouds your mind, trust God in all your thoughts. Instead of allowing such things that do not benefit you, commit such things to God in prayer, trusting He will deliver you from those thoughts that are unconscious or semi-conscious.

Know this; “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Cor. 10: 4, 5.

The bottom line is to place your Trust in God!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

SY Jesus Calling | WSB | HSB

A TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT   Luke 6:43

Jesus used the illustration of a tree to remind us that fruit is always true to its character. An apple tree can only produce apples, not oranges, therefore a good person produces the good from within their heart, not evil.

The heart, the center of our being, determines our outward behavior and deeds and must be changed or converted. Without that inward change, no one can do God’s will.  The heart in Scripture is the totality of intellect, emotion, desire, and volition. An impure heart will corrupt one’s thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.

For we speak and act from the overflow of our hearts.

Contemporary people consider the head with its brain the center and the director of human activity.  However, the Bible speaks of the heart as the center; “out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23; Luke 6:45).

People consider things in their heart (Deut. 85), meditate in their heart (Ps. 19:14), commune with themselves (Ps. 77:6) or with God (1 Sam. 1:12-13) in their heart, hide God’s word in their heart (Ps. 119:11), keep things in their heart (Prov. 4:21), imagine things in their heart (Ps. 140:2, reason in their heart (Mark 2:8), doubt in their heart (Mark 11:23), ponder in their heart (Luke 2:19), believe in their heart (Rom. 10:9), and sing in their heart (Eph. 5:19).  All of these actions of the heart are primarily issues involving the mind.

An impure heart will corrupt one’s thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. Jesus reminds us that our speech and actions reveal underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations. The good impressions we try to make cannot last if our hearts are deceptive. Righteousness is produced only in a person’s life due to righteousness in the heart.

For we speak and act from the overflow of our hearts.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

LAB | WSB | FLSB | TEBC