<![CDATA[MINISTRY OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP - Pastor's Desk]]>Thu, 21 Sep 2023 20:33:42 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[JUST BE KIND]]>Mon, 04 Sep 2023 22:47:25 GMThttps://mocf.org/pastors-desk/just-be-kind I was thinking about one word today and that is the word KIND!
2Peter 1:5-7
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love[1]
 
Being kind is to be thoughtful of others in how we see and treat them, and the act of being compassionate and considerate in our everyday lives. We will all face challenges and test as we go through life here on this earth but know this that God has a plan that is eternal!
 
Kindness does not just happen, but it is something that must be practiced daily and requires constant evaluations of the heart. You must have a desire to be kind!
There is so much anger in our world and it is reflected in our homes, communities, churches, schools, jobs…. But that should not control the disposition of who you truly are.
 
Kindness can only come from the heart of one who has peace and has a positive outlook tempered by God’s description of what love is.
Being kind is not just an act of doing good when you feel it is appropriate, even though that is a byproduct of kindness, but it is having the mindset of calmness and rest with having total confidence in God. 
It is not living in anxiety, bitterness, and fear because we are operating by your own values of who deserves to feel your love or wrath fury and rage.
 
There are many that are so angry, and they suppress their feelings and try to mask them with acts of kindness to make people think that they are happy.
When you are at peace with yourself and understand God’s plan for your life you begin to see that there is a joy inside that can’t be extinguished with all the hate, jealousy, and negativity around you. When you have found the love that God has intended for all mankind and understand His peace that surpass all our understanding, it will guard your heart and your mind. You won’t just profess but will possess God’s unconditional love it will become a way of life that causes you to have the compassion of Christ Jesus. 
 
So many marriages are the bed of unkindness and it has taken root. Then a battle begins against the one you are supposed to love with all your heart and the heart becomes harder and harder. Plotting and sabotage now becomes the practice of the husband and wife, and the act of kindness becomes a distant memory.
 
You must choose to have a Godly heart and by the power of the Holy Spirit one can truly be the kind and compassionate individual that is truly happy.
This is why the bible tells us to mortify the deeds of the flesh and bring our bodies under subjection, you must get control of your thoughts and not allow your mind to think evil but train your mind to have good thoughts.
 
 
If you find yourself bitter, frustrated, and angry it is time evaluate and see that God has a better plan for your life and He has made it available to everyone that desires to have peace. Peace is a choice and if you desire change there is a way out and God has provided it through Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit you have the power within you. 
 
Prayer:
Father God, first please forgive me for my heart of unkindness and not displaying your attributes of love. I see and realize that I need a change in my life, and I ask you to help me change my ways, I open my heart and yield my will to your will. Help me to practice kindness from my heart and not just an act that I do. I know that you have given me the power by the Holy Spirit, and I receive your help to be the man / woman/ boy/ girl that you have created me to be. I relinquish the bitterness and anger and allow your peace in my heart today. I will change my associations and acquaintances and choose to fellowship those of like faith. I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
Thank you that you are perfecting me right now as I pray, and this I ask in Jesus name.
Amen
 
Colossians 3:12-17
Ephesians 4:31-32
Galatians 5:22-23


 
]]><![CDATA[A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE]]>Sat, 15 Oct 2022 07:12:30 GMThttps://mocf.org/pastors-desk/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-to-waste                
I have come to understand that many people today do not seek to know the truth, they do not seek to know what is right but their focus is on what they want to be right without factual information. 
God gave us the ability to reason, evaluate things, and define what is right after careful research and consideration.

 Being emotionally led or just allowing your mind to be fill with someone else ideas and philosophies will leave you insecure and confused about your direction in life. Even a parrot can repeat what they hear without any knowledge of what they are saying at all!
 
You owe it to yourself to know the truth and realize that every decision you make will affect your life and your family. It is your responsibility for the outcome of the decisions that you make and making right decisions will bring great assurance and establish a foundation with the ability to be effective and successful in life. Choose wisely because you must live by your decisions!
Just think! Find out the facts, research creditable resources, and use your mind. Most of all “YOU PRAY AND ASK GOD” for wisdom and direction and you will be confident and sure. 

John 16:13 (NKJV) 
13  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come. 

James 1:5-8 (NKJV) 
5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 
6  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 
7  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 
8  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

​John 14:14-18 (NKJV) 
14  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 
15  "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 
16  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 
17  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 
18  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. ]]><![CDATA[​Why Does God Hate Complaining?]]>Wed, 14 Aug 2019 03:23:10 GMThttps://mocf.org/pastors-desk/why-does-god-hate-complainingWhy Does God Hate Complaining?
 
I was thinking about Israel when God delivered them from slavery out of Egypt under Pharaoh. After being in bondage for 400 plus years and God prepared Moses to deliver them from their capture and promised them a land that flowed with milk and honey. All the way they complained about so many thinks and its displeased God to the utmost, so much that the majority died in the wilderness because of it.
We talk about Israel and their complaining but what about us? Most of the gospel songs that I listen to are what I call the gospel blues!
Murmuring and complaining day in and day out with a loaf of bread under the arms.
There are several scriptures that talk about being thankful and there is a reason we should live a life of thankfulness. God loved us so much that He gave us His son to restore mankind back into sonship with Himself, forgave us of all sins and gave us an inheritance under grace and truth.
So, I was thinking, why does God react so extremely when it comes down to complaining. Many will say that I’m not perfect, I’m a work in progress and so on…
Then I herd God say to me “every time you complain you say that I am a dead-beat dad, you say that I am not a God of my word. You say that I haven’t done enough for my people and my Word is not true. You say that I am a liar and don’t tell the truth. You say that you can’t trust me to take care of you and I am unable to provide for you. You say my hand is short concerning my promises”
After God got done explaining to me what he hated about complaining, I immediately repented and ask Him to forgive me for complaining. I fully understand that complaining is not a lack of God’s ability or willingness to do what He promised, but it was a lack of my faith and walking in carnality. It was because I had not been dedicated to allowing the Word to penetrate my inter being and allowing the Holy Spirit to take it from the logos to the rhema.
Complaining only empowers the Devil’s access to our minds through thoughts, ideas and suggestions and the submission to his philosophy that is against the Word of God.
Check your mouth and your confession for as a man thinks, so is he. Permeate your minds with the Word of truth and become a victor and not a victim.
 
Garry Barefield
Ministry of Christian Fellowship
 
 
Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)
19  "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
 
2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)
20  For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
 
Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
4  Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
 
Matthew 7:11 (NKJV)
11  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!


Luke 12:24 (NKJV)
24  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?


Luke 12:28 (NKJV)
28  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? ]]><![CDATA[Expansion]]>Sat, 20 Oct 2018 01:52:05 GMThttps://mocf.org/pastors-desk/testExpansion is the act of something changing form to become larger than it's original size. It means to increase in size, to expand, to grow larger. 

2 Peter 3:18 (KJV)
18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

I was thinking about the word "Expansion" and thought about the body of Christ and how Jesus wants us to expand in our walk as believers. 
We are to expand in knowledge of the Word of God and our understanding of what it means to be a child of God. This is for every individual to know, It's your new life.

Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV) tells us:
17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19  and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 

Many believers turn their spiritual growth and health over to others and rely on what happens on Sunday morning to be the main source of their growth as a mature believer. 
If you don't grow (Expand) you will shrink and become subject to the whims of the enemy's attacks. Growth is a must for all believers and it is personal and you have to take responsibility of how you mature spiritually.
Don't minimize your ability to comprehend God and His will because He has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to bring clarity to every believer. This is the purpose of the 5 fold ministry "Apostles, Teacher, Pastors, Evangelist and Prophets for the edification of the body of Christ, that is you!
(​​Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,) 

We should examine ourselves lives to see our progress and maturity as believers. We should be more and more confident in our relationship with the Lord and become less and less dependent on others, like a baby being weened of the bottle to eat meat.
We need to expand in our knowledge of our understanding of scriptures and know why it is personal to us.
Tell yourselves that it is time to expand out of my comfort zone, to become strong and a viable force to be reckoned with in the kingdom of God. 
Make sure you are being challenged to grow at the church you attend.
​
Garry Barefield
​Ministry of Christian Fellowship]]><![CDATA[From Pastors Desk]]>Sat, 28 Jan 2017 08:00:00 GMThttps://mocf.org/pastors-desk/from-pastors-deskPicture


Hello People of God, it has been a while. Since my last post God has blessed me to retire and I am really enjoying it .
I am excited to fulfill my purpose for the Kingdom of God and have plenty of time without any comitments that pull me away. 

I will be updating "Pastor's Desk" weekly and look for some good word to build up believers in their relationship with the Father. 
Love you all and be blessed





​
​                                                         THE CHURCH

 Ephesians 1:22-23 (KJV)
22  And (Jesus) hath put all things under his feet, and gave him (Jesus) to be the head over all things to the church ( the believer),
23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 
Acts 20:28 (KJV) 
28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The organization church has seem to have taken place of the true church, the Body of Christ. The event of gathering on Sunday morning and a hour and a half equates to having a relationship with the Father. I have herd it called " I'm going to go and give God His praise".
I am not saying we should not assemble ourselves together, but that the emphasis should be focused on your everyday life.
God is God in everything that you do and His true power is manifested in your everyday lives. On the job, at school, in your marriages, in your neighborhood, in your health, in your decision making, in your finances, in your relationships, in literally every area of your lives.. 

The praise God is looking for is the actions of our everyday life. I don't know about you, but I don't want my wife to be partially committed to our marriage a couple of hours a week.
Jo Ann is my wife even when we are not together, when she is sleep, all of the time she is my wife and I am her husband. We do not only think about each other just when we are together, but at all time Jo Ann present in my mind. I consider her in everything that I do. 

This is how it is with Father God, He is ever present and desires to have fellowship with us all the time. This is why Jesus came that we may have fellowship un-interrupted with the Father. 
The concept of the Sunday morning experience does not replace the true daily relationship as sons and daughters.
Jesus prayed, Father make them one as we are one.
The purpose of the organizational church is to empower you as the "true church" of God. To reveal to you truth and light of the life in Jesus Christ as a believer. To encourage you and enhance your relationship. 

  Remember you are the the church that Jesus gave His life for and the power of God abides in you. 
 Just want to encourage you to know who you are in Christ
Be Blessed
Garry Barefield, Senior Pastor 
Ministry of Christian Fellowship  
]]>