Dark Passage / Blinding Light . . . Journeying the Unseen Without Losing Your Way!
Joureyig the Unseen Without Losing Your Way!
Journeying the Unseen Without Losing Your Way!
You heard the wonderful testimonies. You read the success stories. The plan laid out for you to follow is clear. You assure yourself that you have finally discovered the secret. Does any of this sound familiar?
There are a gazillion diet plans that claim to have the solution where others failed. They all but guarantee success.
Do you know that most any of those gazillion plans will work? They will work if you actually take hold of the plan and walk it through.
There is an old adage if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.
When that fails, perhaps it is time for some good old-fashion detective work. Put on your sleuth hat and begin the surveillance. It is time to search out the rascals that are contributing to your failure.
Could it be that there is some hidden self-deception? Are you harboring a fugitive? Are you harboring a fantasy that there is some magic formula? This formula, once found, transforms you with minimal effort or sacrifice. Could this be?
No matter how unpleasant it sounds, the fact is that success will take change and effort.
We say YES to all the wonderful facts of what we are and have in Christ. He has indeed overcome and placed it into our account. We are free from bondage and have access to every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Him.i
What will we do with these wonderful truths? The plan for our success and victory is before us. Like the diet, however, we must walk them through.
Now the question is how to begin. How do you start, or start again, on the road to success and growth.
Start by recognizing that it is personal. It is your journey and it will be unique to you. Others may help along the way, but you must walk the walk.
Because it is personal, start with a problem or difficulty specific to you. Get a grip on it. What do you need in, of, and from God to get you through to victory?
What does God’s Word tell you about this problem or difficulty? What promises do you need to take hold of and bring to Him in prayer? What do you need to hold onto by faith? What areas need wisdom or perhaps counsel?
Next, what must you resist? Believers have to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. Sometimes the enemy is riding shotgun and you must oust him. Remember that when we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil (i.e. temptations, lies, driving spirits etc.) he will flee.ii
Keep in mind that change is not easy. God has a plan for your life. As you maintain the course, walking through the process, He will bring it about.
What plan you ask? He has a plan for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.iii That future goes beyond this earth; it includes a plan for heavenly reward.
Like the diet plans, there may seem to be many plans for growth in Christ. Nevertheless, that does not change the basic fact that you must take personal responsibility and walk it through.
God holds the plan for your life. As you walk it out, work through the struggles and overcome, that personal plan will unfold.
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries
Photo by Tainaktis
i Eph 1:3
ii Jas 4:7
iii Jer 21:11

It can be likened to the light dawning, the marble dropping into the hole, that aha moment, or whatever you choose to call it. It is when mental assent descends into the heart. It is then that you go beyond merely knowing, you own it!
This necessitates a transaction. There needs to be interaction. There may even need to be confrontation. Often God puts us in between the proverbial rock and a hard place to press us. Situations arise that will not go away. They stand stubbornly opposed to everything you believe.
In our appointments with men this is also true. Man can appoint you to a position. Nevertheless, you must recognize God’s anointing within you for true spiritual impact. One represents man’s authority, the other God’s authority. Demons surely know where you stand. They are not subject to human authority.
It is with the heart that man believes.i The truth that we hear must work itself into our very being. We need to bring it before the Lord, refusing to let go. We must not relent until there is a release of its power that changes us.
We must build our spiritual house with stones of truth. When you hear a word or message that grabs your heart, do not assume you have it. Work with God, meditate on it, and watch over it until it produces in your life.
What truth can you say that you truly own? You know that you know its reality and stand in its authority. Take the time to do a spiritual inventory. You do not know when you will need to stand on one of those precious stones.
You are in the driver’s seat. It is time to buckle up and drive for the prize. It is time to set your internal GPS to reach the goal of . . .
Releasing the power!
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries
Photo - Heart Explosion by IamBramer
[i] Rom 10:10

Wait a minute, wait a minute; isn’t the title supposed to be contend for the faith? Hmmm, perhaps there is another way to consider what contending for the faith involves.
First, let’s look at contending for the faith, and then perhaps it will become clearer.
...that ye should earnestly contend for THE FAITH.i
Most of the time the word faith used in the New Testament expresses our faith in Jesus Christ. It expresses our faith, trust, belief, and total dependence on Him.
Why is there then this urgent exhortation to believers to contend earnestly for the faith? The Amplified Bible states it this way:
Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God].ii
THE FAITH is more than the truth, doctrines, and principles of faith. The faith, the one faith, is the sum total of the Truth of God. This Truth is a Person. Christ says I am the truth.iii Jesus Christ is the reality of all that God is.
As Jesus approached the time of His cross He asks His disciples – However when the Son of Man comes, will He find (persistence in) the faith on the earth? iv Will He find those who will contend for the faith until ALL that He is and ALL that He accomplished becomes a reality in the lives of all the redeemed?
At the time of that urgent appeal, an intense spiritual warfare was taking place. That battle continues to rage.
Believers’ salvation is eternally secure. Nevertheless, effective contending for the faith requires us to continue to come into the experiential reality of all Christ is and has accomplished.
The embrace . . .
When you fervently embrace something, you take it in your grasp. You hold it close to your heart. You hold it tight and do not let it slip. It is the quintessential expression of - You’re mine, you’re mine, you’re all mine!
An embrace with that much fervor signifies that this is a thing of value, something precious. It is worth fighting for and cost is not an issue.
Jesus Christ considered you worth the fight, the price, and cost was not an issue. He gave everything to bring you into everything He had to give!
Where are you? Have you grasped all that Christ has accomplished for you? Have you experienced the power of His life in you causing you to overcome? Are you aware of the presence, wisdom, and guidance of His Spirit?
He has so much more for all who will . . .
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries

Is something holding your faith hostage?
Could it be a case of mistaken identity?
There are reports of this happening everywhere. Due to the close resemblance, one passes off for the other. They often travel together, close associates in their work. That fact makes the case even more difficult to solve.
There is, however, a major difference between these two. One is the wind for your sail; the other is the anchor for the storm.
Anchors are very important. When boating, they prevent a vessel from drifting. Using an anchor when you want to move, however, is a problem.
Consider this discussion:
God is a good God. Yes He is.
I am just trusting Him. That is a good thing.
May I ask for what you are trusting?
Well, I am trusting He will take care of me and do what is best for me.
As good as all these thoughts are they are expressions of hope. They are anchors.
Hope is the anchor of faith. It keeps you planted during stormy times.
Faith is the mover. Faith reaches out in assurance.
Martin Luther states the difference this way:
First, hope and faith differ in regard to their sources. Faith originates in the understanding, while hope rises in the will.
Secondly, they differ in regard to their functions. Faith says what is to be done. Faith teaches, describes, directs. Hope exhorts the mind to be strong and courageous.
Thirdly, they differ in regard to their objectives. Faith concentrates on the truth. Hope looks to the goodness of God.i
Faith looks at the facts and moves ahead according to those fact. God said it; I believe it and that settles it! Our will then chooses and sets the course.
If we mistake hope for faith we will remain anchored. Faith is vital, powerful, forceful, and moving. Hope without faith leaves us languishing, looking off into the horizon waiting for help.
Hope is vital in the working partnership. Nevertheless, it cannot apprehend and advance you; it is not the wind for your sail.
Is it possible that your faith is a hostage? Perhaps it is time to do an anchor check, because the winds of faith are blowing. It is high time to release the hostage!
Unfold your sails, catch the wind of faith, and set the compass, your will, to venture out into deeper places in the spirit. Set your course to apprehend all the promises of God. Put an end to . . .
The hostage crisis!
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries
Photo by imagerymajestic-freedigitalphotos.netYou can't be serious!
Divide and conquer is the battle cry. Break apart the unity and the forces will disperse. It has certainly been an effective tactic on the war front, both naturally and spiritually.
Most times, we view division as a negative destructive thing. Division is everywhere and certainly plagues believers. Unity, solidarity, one team, one mission, these are recognized as calls to conquer and win.
Despite thinking of it in its negative aspect, there is a positive aspect as well.
Dividing from Saul’s army, Jonathan and his armor bearer took on the Philistine garrison. Jonathan knew that nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.i
God divided Gideon's company — lest Israel boast about themselves against Me, saying, My own hand has delivered me.ii
All who were fearful of heart were to return home. A fearful heart is useless when faith is necessary.
He then separated those who had a divided heart. Those who drank the water on their hands and knees showed their focus was not on the battle. A divided heart disqualifies and the Lord separated them out.
While Jesus walked the earth, He called for separation. He called for an undivided heart.
And he said to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go you and preach the kingdom of God.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow you; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said to him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.iii
The reactions to His call expose a divided heart. Once again, the call is clear as He declares:
If any man comes to Me, and does not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.iv
God divides large numbers into small companies. It is through the work of the few that the Lord brings victory to the many. Often referred to as the overcomer company, they stand their ground against the enemy.
God sifts to bring forth those companies. He separates out those who have a divided heart. He joins those who will fight on behalf of the whole. There are many who need others to battle on their behalf, so they can come forth.
God used Jonathan and his armor bearer as instruments to bring Israel to the place where they could take a stand. Because of their victory, Israel came out of their fear and weakness into strength.
T. Austin Sparks states it this way:
And a lot of people just need a Jonathan activity to bring them into a clear place. They will come in if the Lord has an instrument strong enough to meet the enemy on their behalf, but they will not come in until there is something that begins to smite the Philistines for them. Are you going to be one of these? v
These have God's Word in their hearts, standing on the promises in the face of temptation, pressure, and inward spiritual assault. Their life in the living Word comes forth in effectual prayer and aggressive overcoming of the enemy.
The principle governing everything
is an undivided heart.
Have you been grieved over a lost relationship with a friend or friends? Consider the possibility that God divided, with the expectation of a greater outcome.
Hold true to the course set before you. Pursue the Lord with wholehearted devotion and allow no division in that most important place, your heart.
May the only division we cooperate with be the division meant to. . .
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries
[i] 1 Samuel 14:1-6

The Super Bowl is among the most watched sporting events in the world. It is highly publicized and it is hard to believe there is anyone who has not heard of it.
He runs a worldwide organization. This organization hides behind the material things of this world. It is a very orderly organization. It is intangible, a planned system, and a world order that is hostile to God.i
This world is an enemy of God. It is an enemy of all that is of God. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.ii
Just before the cross, Jesus prayed for those that were His —
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou should take them out of the world, (the geographical sphere that is called the world), but that Thou should keep them from the evil one who rules in it.iii
Just as Egypt sought to rid itself of God's chosen and the whale wanted to rid itself of Jonah, it intends to spew us out.
In every arena, it seeks to erase the testimony of Jesus Christ. The ultimate testimony is not in plaques and pledges, prayers, statues, or public declarations. The ultimate testimony is in the heart of believers, Christ within us.
T. Austin Sparks speaks of the spirit of this world not wanting the testimony of Jesus in this earth.
I wonder if there was ever a time in the history of this world when the saints were going through spiritual pressure more than they are now! I am not talking now only of outward persecutions. Some are in that, but even here, at this time, this week, dear children of God have said to me: "I never in my life knew so much spiritual conflict, spiritual pressure. It sometimes gets unbearable, intolerable. I wonder how I am going to get through." Well, many of you may not know anything about that. If you don't, don't worry at the moment, but if you do know that dear friends, and some of us do, we never in our lives (and some of us have had a long life with the Lord) knew such intense and almost naked spiritual pressure that at times it does seem to get to the point where we'll break, we'll break. Many dear children of God all over this world write to me in these terms about this. What does it mean? You have come to Zion - that is what it means.iv
Many are feeling the spiritual pressure. That pressure is not the seemingly natural problems in life. These are just the vehicle. There is something more sinister behind the problems and conflicts.
It is comforting to know this pressure is real. The enemy would have us believe it is our imagination, our weakness, our problem, pressuring us to focus on ourselves.
The truth is that there is travail in the earth and in the Body of Christ, which holds the testimony of Jesus. We travail for the coming forth of God's elect, those chosen in Christ from eternity. It is travail for the coming forth of the sons of God.v
The Body of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is the restrainer on the spirit of this world. The pressure increases as the age comes to a close.
Let us not be dismayed at the working of evil to evict all that is of Christ in this world. Instead, rejoice as the time of His coming draws ever closer.
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries
Have you forgotten how you received your new life in Christ? Do you remember it as something you obtained by a proper prayer or the following of some ritual, rules or regulations?
On the other hand, do you remember it as a stretch into the unseen, a leap of faith into the unknown? You heard a word, a message of faith, and your heart responded. You knew nothing of the rules of the road. As your heart responded and your spirit leapt inside of you, you reached out and received. It was your eternal YES!
The response of your heart, no matter the way, initiated a Divine exchange. Your homeland changed. A quote from the movie Matrix puts a modern spin on the dramatic relocation change – Fasten your seat belt Dorothy, cause Kansas is going good-bye!
There is no deposit, no down payment, stake, or desired reward to find in this world or this world’s religion. The only valid claim to stake on this earth is from heaven and for Christ.
In one powerful heavenly transaction, God raised us up together with Christ in His heavenly place.i It is vitally important to spiritual growth that we learn to live in and out from the heavenly spiritual realm.
In the letters to the Corinthians, we see the problems of an earthly view. They even pulled spiritual gifts down to a place of display, of competition. In Galatians, once again there is a bringing of spiritual realities down to earth. This time it is an earthly religion. We see a desire to be justified in the flesh, by the law. There were also those seeking to build a following so they could glory in their flesh.ii
There is a continuous pull toward the earth. It affects believers, drawing their focus to accomplishments that they can see, results they can measure. This is a battle with flesh, both their own and that of those around them. Oh how we want to be able to take a measure of our accomplishments.
To know Christ is to know Him in a spiritual way. We cannot know Him in the flesh. He is in heaven. When He was yet among His disciples, He told them of this.
Just a little while now and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
At that time – when that day comes – you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I am] in you.iii
To grow spiritually we must move away from this earth. We must cease to view all things from and unto its effect on what is earthly.
We must move through and past the letter to the Corinthians. We must transcend the earthly religious view of the Galatians. We must pursue a view from our new location. We must forsake earthly standards, judgments, and interests. We must learn to view things from the heavens, from God’s perspective.
If we persist in living in sole relationship to the earthly work, we will be severely limited in spiritual growth. Although that work may be for the Lord and unto men, it is still earthly. Our primary focus must be heavenly.
What is a heavenly view that causes us to advance? It is a view that considers and looks for what will bring about God’s end. His end is the summing up of all things in Christ.iv Our question in all things needs to be what is of Christ that I may join to it. What is of Christ in individuals, in relationships, in ministry, looking for Christ in all things.
What is of Christ that I may join. This is what we join to in other believers. We do not join by common denominational beliefs, or cultural and religious agreement. We join to others based on Christ who is in them. We are not to look to what is earthly, in others, or in ourselves.
What will cause others to rise up to their heavenly calling? In any work we join this must be our sole consideration. What will cause others to be joined to Christ in a spiritual way. What will cause them to know Him who now sits in the heavens in His ascended position.
Those who are born of the Spirit of God no longer belong to this earth. There is therefore, . . .
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries
Butcher, baker, candlestick maker . . .
Blue-collar worker, white-collar worker . . .
Mother, father, sister, brother . . .
Rich man, poor man . . .
Hopefully, not beggar man or thief!
But seriously, do you know who you are?
This world often constricts and constrains us. Through various means, it holds us in, limiting us. It may also force us toward a particular course of action using such things as circumstances, relationships, hardships, and expectations.
Though these many things may shape you, that is not who you are. These are merely things that shape the outer man. You are more than an outer man; you have an inner man as well.
The inner man is the man of the spirit. Man by nature, because of the fall, is born with a spirit that is dead to God. When you are born-again, the Holy Spirit quickens your spirit, making it alive to God.
Like a newborn baby, your spirit needs food to grow and flourish. Nevertheless, it is the real you.
When you are born-again, you become a child of God. Your relationship with this world drastically changes. In fact, to be the world’s friend is to be God’s enemy.i Your identity is no longer in your accomplishments in this life, because you no longer belong to this world.
[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love ii
Now is the crisis. Your outer man and your inner man have to settle affairs. Are you going to walk by the dictates of this world? Are you going to walk by your own opinions and reasoning? Are you going to strive through your own strength to live what you believe is a good Christian life?
God has a destiny for you. He calls you to mature sonship. His Spirit will direct you on the path needed for your training and growth.
This will often bring you into conflict with the thoughts, desires, and plans of your outer man. The choice then comes down to which one you will feed, which one you will follow.
Will you follow your outer man, the man of your flesh and soul (mind, emotions and will) or the man of the spirit?
WHO ARE YOU?
You determine this by who you follow!
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries

Can you imagine what life would be like if you lost your sight? You would lose a great deal of freedom of movement, activity, and ability to interact with the people and things around you.
When you are born again, you are born into a different world. You are born from above. You shift worlds, delivered from one kingdom and translated to another! Your removal from the kingdom of darkness is complete; you are now in the kingdom of light!i
To gain entrance into the kingdom of light and yet be blind, how unfair would that be? Well, fairness was never a part of the equation, so perhaps it is time to understand the ground rules!
The god of this age hath blinded...ii
Satan blinds the eyes of the unbelieving. I can already hear you - I am a believer! Yes, that is true. You have placed your faith in Jesus Christ and experienced His presence and blessing. God is so good, and He surrounds us like newborns with His blessings and love. Thank God for that. Nevertheless, after the nurture time, things get a bit more complicated.
Remember, you are in a new place. Your translation from this world changes all the rules. In the world, the focus is mostly all about you. Depending on your upbringing, you may or may not have traversed beyond that phase. Nevertheless, it is the place of nature, and you cannot live in the natural.
You must establish your feet on very new ground now. It is not of the earth and all that you have thus far come to understand of life. It is heavenly ground, resurrection ground. It is the high road - High road or low road . . .
If you continue to live as a natural man, you are subject to blindness.
The natural man, says the Spirit of God, receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God . . . he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned or discerned by the spiritual.iii
In the process of gaining revelation,
you need to prepare for conflict!
Satan will have none of it! For the church to rise up, it must see. If the seeing church rises up, it rises up in the power of the kingdom of God. It rises up in the authority of its overcoming King, who has defeated all the power of Satan's kingdom.
Do not be disarmed by the shock of the conflict you experience. Forewarned is forearmed. Understanding the battle rules allows you to brace yourself for the path ahead. God desires to bring you further on the road, to open your eyes to Him and bring you into the light of His Son. Once your heart is enlightened, Satan's power is at once broken.
The greatest menace and peril to Satan and his position, is spiritual illumination. He will not hold the ground long once your eyes are fully open. His power will be broken. With this being true, is it any wonder that there will be a battle over spiritual sight?
All believers hungry for more of God need revelation that they might understand the wonder, mystery, and unfathomable treasures stored up for them, for His church.
Is your heart hungry for these things? If so, be prepared for the conflict. Know that as you press through in God He will carry you through to victory.
Nevertheless, know that even though Satan is defeated he is yet to be overthrown. He is determined. Know that if he has it his way . . .
Consider reading: Where in the world am I and A cracked entrance . . .
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries

You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore you
Now then, lads and lassies, if you want to go to Scotland, I advise you take the low road. If you want a life in the Spirit, you will have to take the high road.
In speaking of spiritual things there are two types of ground. There is natural ground, the ground of nature, and there is resurrection ground.
The ground of nature is all that we are naturally. The ground of nature always draws things toward self and views everything in the light of oneself. In other words, it is all about ME. It is all about how it will affect ME. It is very self-centered.
Resurrection ground is the ground of the Spirit. Resurrection ground is where the life of nature is set aside. It is the place where the Holy Spirit governs. It is the place where the Holy Spirit is the final authority and not man, whether your natural man or others. You may listen to others and take note, but you must then go to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to corroborate if it is truth.
If we truly have been crucified with Christ, if we have died in His death and have been raised together with Him, and have received the Spirit, we have light in our being.
The anointing which ye received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that anyone teach you, but . . . His anointing teacheth you concerning all things.i
There are strong exhortations in the bible to walk in the light, and to live in the Spirit. That is the only way that we will develop and make progress. The Holy Spirit sheds light on the Word of God, opening our eyes. Revelation comes through the Word of God, illuminated by the Spirit of God.
Natural ground is the ground of blindness. On natural ground, we are prey to the enemy.
The natural man, says the Spirit of God, receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God . . . he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned or discerned by the spiritual.ii
The measure in which we occupy that ground is the measure of our blindness.
Being governed by the Spirit means to walk in the light, it means to have light. It means we can truly see (understand, comprehend) the things of the Spirit.
*For a free on-line school, free PDF books written by Barb and more information on walking and living in the Spirit go to Midway Ministries
Song lyrics- Loch Lomond by Runrig
Photo by Exsodus-freedigitalphotos.net