Is He Trying To Stop You?

It's "the most wonderful time of the year"...or so the song says? But even through the pageantry, lights, gift giving and Christmas carols, the devil's devices are alive and well. In many cases, they are multiplied. The more time people spend together, the more words can be spoken and more hearts can be broken. The devils of discouragement are at work even at the most glorious time.

Being in the public eye I'm always receiving emails, voice mails and anonymous letters from viewers who have an opinion about me they need to share. Over the last few weeks, viewers have told me I'm "fat", criticized my growing out my hair to donate it, and have even accused me of "tempting godly men who are trying to stay pure" (whatever that means).

What good is a spirit-filled Christian if they aren't going through adversity?

Before the devil can quiet your voice for God, he will try to stop you through other people. Most often times, the devil uses professing Christians to do his dirty work. When the opposition comes, you often feel like you're running through quick sand---you are having such adversarial conditions that your forward movement is slowing down. The winds of opposition blow and you gradually shut down and stop. The devil doesn't necessarily want you to go backward in your Christian growth, but he does want to stop you from going forward. God is about progress. Satan is about sitting still, caving into the pressures and doing nothing.

The Galatians were a people who used to be on fire for the Lord. But the devices of Satan came in and began to infiltrate their minds and their emotions and eventually slowed them down in their spiritual growth and influence. Paul told them in Galatians 1:6, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion..." The devil will have other people to misuse you, confuse you, and abuse you.

When the comments, critiques, trials, and accusations increase, don't stop moving forward. Just pause. Ask the Holy Spirit to touch you with a fresh word. Psalm 46:10 gives great advice: "Be still and know that I am God."

Occupying the blessings of God isn't going to come in a day. It's a process. Spiritual warfare is necessary.

(Barbie is the guest speaker tonight at Oakland Baptist Church's ladies night out in Corinth. She will be speaking and signing her books this coming Tuesday, December 11 at the Walthall County Library in Tylertown at 11am.)

December Update

This has been my first week off the 10pm news. Someone asked "How does it feel?" I feel like I've been given back a portion of my life! I've enjoyed not having to rush through dinner, bath time with the kids and story time just so I could trot back to the tv station. It's a more leisure approach and it's been a welcome one. Thank you for all of your comments and posts on the "Barbie Bassett WLBT" Facebook page as well.

Books are in stores now ready for Christmas shoppers! You can currently find them in Jackson at Lifeway Christian Store and Lemuria Books in Jackson, the Indianola Pecan House in Indianola, and Expectations in Brookhaven. If your location doesn't suit any of these, you can purchase them at www.barbiebassett.com with a special pricing discount. Be sure you signify how you want your book to be signed if you are giving it as a gift.

Orders received before December 18 will arrive before Christmas and they can be shipped anywhere. Please note: There are 64 copies left of "Forecasts and Faith: 5 Keys to Weathering the Storms of Life" and there will not be a 4th printing of this popular book. My devotional, "Carry An Umbrella When There's No Rain in the Forecast: 365 Days of Living by Faith," has been a stocking stuffer for many.

(Barbie will be emceeing the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation's Ag Ambassador event this Saturday. She will also be the guest narrator at First Baptist Church of Madison's Christmas Spectacular this Sunday with performance times at 3pm and 6pm.)

Dealing With Family Conflict At The Holidays

Everyone has someone they wish wasn’t in their family. And every generation blames the one before. When my children act in a way contrary to how I’d prefer, I often tell my husband “He takes after your side of the family!”

What better time to find faults in our families than at holiday time. All gathered in close quarters, we almost dare our relative not to act the way they did the last time we were together. In the past, we may have tried to make a mends but for some reason, there is no break-through in the personality differences. Therefore, we walk away hurt after another holiday has come and gone vowing to give the offending relative a piece of our mind!

Moses found himself telling God he just couldn’t take it anymore. The children of Israel were whining, complaining and unwilling to work on their spiritual deficiencies. They began to murmur against Moses and the Lord. God was not pleased at their actions or words. God had not only provided their freedom from slavery, but they wanted even more. Even worse, they really did not want anyone to tell them what they could or could not do.

Moses was so depressed at trying that he actually told the Lord in Numbers 11:15, “If this is how you’re going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” Moses wanted to die because the conflict was so bad.

There will be times in each one of our lives when God gives us a task to do that appears to be far too great for us to handle. At first, prideful thoughts can tempt us to think we can handle the conflict no matter how great the challenge may seem. However, God did not create us to work independently of Him.

If you want to reach your full potential, allow God to have the relationships causing you such worry. Many people believe they have given their problems to God, but they haven’t. They lay them down at His feet only to turn around and pick them up again.

How do you know when you’re still carrying the burden of a strained relationship with a family member?  You know it by the weight of that burden. If it is heavy to the point of being destructive, stop and ask God to show you if He wants you to bear this load on your own. Jesus instructed His followers in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Jesus wanted the people to give their burdens--including their strained family relationships--to Him. A yoke was used to couple animals together so they could work more effectively. When we share our burdens with Him and show a gentle and humble attitude to our offenders, Jesus comes alongside us and lifts the yoke up so it is not weighing us down. But if we insist on shouldering the weight alone, we will fall and not get up.

It boils down to a matter of trust. Do you trust God with your strained family relationships?

Ch-Ch-Changes!

It's been said change is inevitable. Change isn't always bad. In fact, change can be a blessing in disguise.

About 2 years ago, I felt a strong urge from the Holy Spirit to do more, be more, share more, live more, give more, and love more. I knew God was calling me to do something else, but I wasn't quite sure what this "more" urging would look like or the form it would take. Not to mention, I was feeling an even stronger pull to spend more time and put more effort into my marriage and the leading of our children.

It was about that same time I started my own business. I had zero experience in the business world and was at a loss for how this business would change my life. I only knew what God was telling me to do: don't let your fear get in the way of your faith.

Tonight I will join the Fox 40 newscast as their 5:30pm meteorologist. In addition, I will still be the meteorologist for WLBT's 4pm, 5pm and 6pm newscasts. Therefore, the Fox 40 5:30pm will be an addition to my duties.

Since starting my own business less than 2 years ago, my pay check has increased over 12,500% in a down economy. In an economy when lay offs are happening, my business has added over 1,200 business partners in 40 states.

Following the pull that the Lord gave me 2 years ago, Thanksgiving night will be my last appearance on the WLBT 10pm news. This means I will have more time with my husband and children and be able to give them more attention and enjoy them even more.

Elated, thrilled, excited and grateful don't begin to describe how I feel about it all! I'm sure there's  probably a few more changes to come down the road and that's even more inspiring.

I don't know what changes God is tapping on your heart to do, but I'll tell you what He told me: don't let your fear get in the way of your faith.

(Barbie will be a guest performer and will give a mini-concert at the Thanksgiving Gospel Signing with the Chuck Wagon Gang this Saturday at Pearl High School at 6pm.)

The Reaction in Distraction

Some days I meet myself coming and going. Here lately, I've had a hard time remembering to eat lunch. I get so busy home schooling the children, answering emails, returning phone calls and by the time 3pm rolls around, the rumbling in my stomach lets me know I've neglected it.

Everyone is busy. There are spirit-filled, busy Christians, too. Just look at the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus and his disciples were invited to have a meal in Martha's home who was apparently the typical "hostess with the most'ess". She wasn't happy that her sister Mary wasn't helping in the effort of serving, cleaning and assisting when Jesus told her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Martha was distracted by the very Person she was serving. She allowed her service to Jesus to distract her from his presence. Sometimes our hard work can cause us to lose the very goal for which we're working. A friend of mine is the type of person who cooks all day before Thanksgiving and stays up all night to make sure every meal is homemade. By the time Thanksgiving Day rolls around, she's so tired and frustrated she can't enjoy the meal or the family! Distraction can turn something wonderful into a burden. Martha's distraction led her to worry, which made her upset about "many things". Jesus was in her home, but Martha was bothered not blessed. That's what distraction does.

Distraction makes us oblivious to the presence of the Lord. And when we try to serve God without his presence we become angry and bitter with him and others who are serving him. Mary was not distracted. She was enjoying Jesus' presence. It's almost like you can imagine her saying, "I am SO glad you're here, Jesus. It means so much to me to be here with you."

How many Christians do you know who would rather do nothing in life than sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to him? When Jesus finds someone like Mary, you can be sure he'll share the intimate details of his heart with that person.

Friendship with God is the result of a conscious choice. And once we choose it, his friendship will determine the other courses we choose.

Going to church, working with other Christians in service and all other activity can be done outside of God's presence by good people who aren't really friends with Jesus. Just ask Martha.

(Barbie will be signing her books at Peoples Drug Store in Lexington on Monday, November 5 from Noon-1pm.)

Pre-Halloween Blood Drive

I've been amazed at the number of people I encounter on a weekly basis who mention how much they appreciate the "Barbie & Marshall" bi-annual blood drives. They share stories of how they personally were in desperate need of blood or had a loved one who had a surgery or accident and were in need. You never know who may be the next to need a life-saving blood transfusion or platelet donors because they're fighting cancer.

Come join Clarion Ledger Editorial Cartoonist Marshall Ramsey and me Tuesday, October 30 for our Halloween Blood Drive at Mississippi Blood Services on Tree Tops Boulevard in Flowood. Doors will open bright and early at 6am and closes when the last person leaves. We'll provide lunch for FREE from the Pizza Shack as well as you'll be entered to win a 47 inch 3D television and blue ray DVD player.

Marshall and I will be on hand during the lunch hour to sign your t-shirt (design above) and throughout the afternoon.

I look forward to seeing you there as we give the gift of life!

Two Kinds of Unbelief

In speaking at First Baptist Church of Long Beach last week, I shared how unbelief is the thief of God's best blessings.

Have you ever struggled with unbelief? There are two kinds of unbelief: unbelief because you just don't know and disobedient unbelief.

When Jesus went to do miracles in his own hometown of Nazareth, he couldn't be productive because of their unbelief. Mark 6:5-6 says, "And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief." Jesus seemed to be astounded because they had no clue! They were ignorant of who he was and that he was the Son of God. Just as ignorance is curable, so is unbelief. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

The other kind of unbelief is just being disobedient and stubborn. That would be the category that most of us fall into today and it's the exact reason why the children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, going around and around in circles. How do we know that for sure? Hebrews 3:19 says, "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." The cure for this kind of unbelief is to obey and act on God's Word. Faith must have corresponding action. James 2:17 says, "Faith without works is dead."

God is still looking for great faith today. But your faith can't go beyond your knowledge of God's Word. Get into the Word and come out in greater faith in Him.

(Barbie will be speaking at the Mississippi Library Association's Convention in Natchez this Thursday.)