Transcript of a published conference session by T. W. Barnes, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
Summary · Transcript · Scripture Index · Download transcript (.txt)
Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Summary
- A morning sermon at a week-long camp meeting.
- He opens on the week they are having: they have been walking with angels, and yesterday afternoon brought a special visitation to every minister present — their superintendent felt the moving of the Holy Ghost and let the Lord have his way instead of shutting the move down for dinner time. Everyone has a burning-bush experience they never forget. But none of it would be possible if Jesus had not come and given his life on Calvary. He has been moved this morning to talk on a subject he has not prepared, and he begins by reading: "we're reading today from second Corinthians the 12th chapter" — Paul's account of the man caught up to the third heaven, the abundance of revelations, the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, "my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness," through "when I'm weak, then am I strong." After a prayer of thanks for the truth, he announces his text: why doesn't God answer my prayer — a question every one of them has asked.
- Two things moved him to it. Yesterday Pastor Livingston told him of a church member: thirty years ago Barnes, called out to pray for a dying person, turned to this saint and told her she had been praying about something and the Lord was going to save her husband. Thirty years went by with the man still unsaved, but she held to the word — and after thirty years he repented, was baptized in Jesus' name, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and went on to be with the Lord. Was it worth it? Ten thousand times over: hold on; if the Lord promised something, stay with it. Ministers ask him why the Lord answers their prayers for everybody but themselves, and why nothing comes the easy way. His answer is dry faith: you feel nothing, see nothing, hear nothing, but you have the book, and you stay with it until it comes.
- Some prayers God just won't answer — the skin-deep, happy-go-lucky kind that never dig down to where faith rests on the word. And some were never intended to be answered the way they were asked. From the foundation of the world God dreamed of a church; for thousands of years Israel prayed for the Messiah to come, and when God sent forth his son, made of a woman, they did not recognize him — that prayer will never be answered, because it was already fulfilled two thousand years ago. If you want to learn how to pray, look at Abraham, at Jacob who prayed all night, at Daniel — men who prayed for God's glory and not only for themselves.
- Then a personal word. In prayer this morning the Lord told him: tell Billy I love you. Brother Billy Cole may have questions — he has hollered and screamed and doesn't know how the Lord feels about him. But when Billy held his little baby girl in his arms and she screamed and carried on with the colic, did he throw her out in the trash? No — he pulled her a little closer: it's going to be all right, Daddy's right here. When Billy is weak, he is really strong. Barnes turns aside on himself — the Lord didn't say this part; this is TW: he doesn't know why Billy is overweight and he is underweight; he used to drink whole cans of Pet milk trying to gain and couldn't; brother Merlin says it's a sin to be able to eat all you want and not gain weight.
- If the Lord delays an answer, there is a reason: he may be planting something big. Barnes loves instant prayers, but some he prayed his heart out over, and the people fasted and held on and battled — and that was what the Lord wanted: them on the front lines, looking the devil eyeball to eyeball. He remembers what brother Coats said: a lady asked him to pray for her to have patience, and he prayed, "O God, send trials and tribulations" — she jumped up: that's what I'm having, that's not what I want. Jacob did not get his answer the first hour; he prayed past midnight, past two and three in the morning, because something big was about to happen the next day — the brother who had planned to kill him for twenty years crossed the field and put his arms around him instead. The Saviour prayed, let this cup pass from me — nevertheless, thy will be done; if that cup had passed, none of them would be here in this camp meeting shouting in Tioga. He doesn't know why sister Terry Spears went through so much — twenty-two different times he was called to pray for her over the telephone when she was about to go — but God had a plan, and it's yet to be seen.
- If you're being used of God, like brother Billy Cole, don't feel bad about taking a long rest, or you'll become man's man instead of God's man. He tells this personally, never mentioned before: Smith Wigglesworth had a great healing ministry and healed lots of deaf people, yet his own daughter sat on the platform deaf and never got her hearing — perhaps the thorn that kept him humble. Barnes has seen creative miracles, yet his own little granddaughter has a hip problem, and when he prays she doesn't get healed — he doesn't know why. A Baptist lady was brought in off the street with cancer, her kneecap absolutely gone, and under a simple prayer she suddenly had a brand-new kneecap; her husband said he had never believed in miracles, but he couldn't deny that. He watched a girl whose leg was four inches shorter hit the floor and need a built-up shoe — but not his granddaughter. One thing he settled a long time ago: God does everything right, whether we understand it or not. Job said he couldn't find God, but "though he slay me, I'll trust him." His own heartache: his only grandson, called to preach, ordained in 1991 with brother Tenney handing Barnes the towel — the highest point of his whole life — and then the boy threw in the towel and quit. He puts one request before them: pray for him to be saved. He refuses to let the devil have his soul. And God won't force the human will: everyone has a will to choose. When Barnes was a little boy of twelve, just received the Holy Ghost, carrying water from the spring barefoot down the sandy road, a voice asked him: Tom, what are you gonna be when you grow up? It's up to you, son — choose. He asks them to stand, and closes on the choice: you can choose to go, or choose to go the other way; the power of choice is in your hands.
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Scripture index: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.
Transcript
we have been walking with angels this week and the wonderful thing about it we walk with Jesus yesterday in a very special way I'm so happy we have a leader that knows how to let the Lord have his way it's so easy to stop a great move it's just so easy shut it down because dinner time or something else and that could have been done yesterday but our superintendent felt the moving of the Holy Ghost and he let the Lord have his way and that to me was a very special visitation and one that I'll never forget we all have an experience somewhere a burning bush experience that we never never forget we've been blessed a lot of times and we forgot about it you know just so many thing but there are certainly times the Lord Jesus visited us that we never never forget the marvel a yesterday afternoon will be a day in count meeting that I'll never forget because there was a special visitation not only to me but to every minister in st. there I wept until I could find no more tears to shed you know the Holy Ghost is well this blesses us leads us guides us into all truth but we could have never received the Holy Ghost if Jesus had not have come and gave His life on Calvary a manned sinful man could have never walked into his presence and lived but there's something about Jesus he fixed it so wonderfully for us today I have been moved on this morning to talk on a subject I have not prepared so I'm just going to let go and let the Lord we're reading today from second Corinthians other 12th chapters the Apostle Paul said it's not expedient for me doubtless to glory I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such and one caught up to the third heaven and I know such a man whether in the body or out other body I cannot tell God knowing how that he was caught up on the paradise and heard unspeakable words which is not lawful for a man to utter of such a one will our glory yep of myself I will not glory but in mine infirmities for though I would desire their glory I shall not be a fool for I will say the truth but now for very less any man should think of me above that which he seeketh me or that he here's a mean and lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations that was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffett me lest I should be exalted above measure for this thing I besought the Lord price that it might depart from me and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness more gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches and necessities in persecutions or distress for Christ's sake well when I'm weak then am i strong praise the Lord praise the Lord can we lift her hands and pray one more time praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord Thank You Lloyd for the truth praise the Lord praise the Lord hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah
got me whether you may be seated because of this sermon that I have outlined just briefly I had not planned and the text will be why doesn't God answer my prayer why doesn't go to answer my prayer every one of us of F's that questions some time another and I want to talk about that a little to things caused me to decide this morning to bring these few thoughts to you one yesterday father Livingston from Pavan saw you here this one that pastor then yesterday he stopped me and he said brother Barnes I have a member in my church and said 30 years ago you came to provincial and he went out to pray for someone that was in a dying condition while in Prior you turn to this Saint and said you've been praying about something and the Lord is going to save your husband and he said you know she told me this just the while back thirty years went by he was still unsafe but she always remembers it's a hell tone to it she said one day one day the Lord spoke my husband will not die lost and then after 30 years she came down with cancer repented of his sin baptized Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost and went on to be with the Lord I asked it was it worth it yes ten thousand times over hold on if the Lord promised something stay with it don't ever give up praise the Lord praise the Lord often ministers will ask me why is it the Lord answers my prayer for everybody but me and it seems that I can't get anything the easy way I have to just go after the hard way well I said don't feel left stuck up I said you look at it one it has to do it about the same way just sometimes drive faith they call it you know you don't feel nothing see you'll see nothing hear nothing but you got the book and you stay with it and stay with him and stay with him until it comes raise the Lord praise the Lord
now there's some players that God just wouldn't answer anyway some of our prayers are sold there just skin deep you know hey they're really not hadn't dug down you really haven't got down to the bottom of the thing you have not found a jerk where and your faith upon the word of God and we're just happy-go-lucky praying they call it you know the Lord don't pay attention those kind of prayers you've got to get down to business and an artist and since they're before the Lord will hear and answer your prayer but then there's something that's not answered because they were never intended to be answered that way you take the Lord's Dream from the foundation of the world and I don't know they say that's four billion years ago that's say that wasn't in the book but however long ago it was the Lord had a dream and if it was four billion years he planned then he dreamed for a church that he would build someday and have a church and a bride all this was in the mind of God billions of years ago he was slain from the foundation of the world the plan was in his mind and heart then and finally finally it came the promise was made in the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve and for two thousand years four thousand years they prayed that this Messiah would come but he didn't here in year out every baby's born in the Jewish family they wondered but the per wasn't answered and then when it finally came time God sent forth his son made of a woman they didn't recognize him and they're still playing if you go to the Wailing Wall you'll find him there wait for the Messiah that prayer will never be answered it's already fulfil 2,000 years ago praise the Lord if you want to find out how to pray go back and look at some of the prayers that God Saints prayed in the Old Testament and the new just take a look at Abraham before you take a look at Jacob hood he prayed all night take a look at Daniel and all these men they put that fire out before God for more reasons and just self it was to bring door to God as well as for their own families praise the Lord be sure you want it for the glory of God hallelujah hallelujah now I just read to you Paul's experience in earth this morning while in prayer meditation the Lord spoke to me and said tell Billy I love you and of course you know we call him brother Billy Cole with the Lord this said tell Billy that I love him he said now bill is gonna have a lot of question his mind he's gonna say I don't know about some things I've hollered in the scream I don't know how he feels about me he said he's gonna have those questions but he said ask him another question when he had his little Garland girl baby in his arms and when she screamed and peaked and carried on with a colic or something there did he throw out in the trash no he just pulled her a little closer loved her a little more I said honey it's gonna be all right I love you daddy's right here aim and a man and he said tell Billy that I love him and when he's weak and but he's really strong praise the Lord you know it makes you feel good for the Lord to tell you he loves you dony amen praise the Lord
now the Lord didn't say this this is TW I don't know why he's overweight and I'm underweight and he probably don't eat as much as I do I don't know all of that you know I used to drink whole cans of pet milk trying to gain weight couldn't and brother Merlin said it's a sin to be able to eat all you won't not gain weight but I hated being a beanpole and III just ever paper you pick up an ever magazine how to lose weight and how to lose weight and there's some of them just can't rest their night because the two pounds overweight Lord help we worry about a lot of things we need a chef praise God hallelujah Bayard
now found out if the Lord delays Asuna prayer there's a reason part he may be planted something big hallelujah praise the Lord I love those instant prayers I love to see God working miracles while I'm yet talking while I'm yet praying that's great and it's over but I have run into some I prayed my heart out they prayed theirs out they fasted they held on they battled helm and that's what the Lord wanted he wanted them to get on the frontlines he wanted them to look the devil eyeball-to-eyeball amen and remember he said in my name you'll cast out devils and my name you're gonna whip these devils in my name I'm raising you up their father people I never forget what brother coach said he said a lady came up and she said brother echoes pray for me to help patients and he prayed he began to pray old God send trials and tribulations and she jumped up and said my god but that goes that's what I'm having that's not what a won't he said that's the way the Lord works missions brings it to you you know a lot of times we ask for something and we really if we knew what was going to go through we might not ask why doesn't God answered my prayer why didn't God answer take a fire the first hour he prayed why did he have to play on the midnight there was something big about to happen the next day he would have been a dead Jacob and that old brother has got to him the day before he prayed all night he wouldn't have been around but you see he played on and he played on midnight past two o'clock in the morning at three o'clock in the morning this is Jacob praying now finally the angel said his get daylight let me go he said I will not
dark daylight or what I'll not let you go until you bless me I need your blessings I've got to have it now well you know the story he met that old brothers been planning to kill him for twenty years and he but the Lord made him hop a little bit he touched his hip here he come across the field puffing yo meeting he saw something wrong oh brother yeah God had touched him he didn't know that he probably felt like he fell off a horse or something but angel it touched him there's something about that touch that what out got a hold of Olli song and he saw it is pitiful tell his men to charge let's cut him to pieces he jumped off his horse ran across the field put his arms around Jacob and their two brothers it's all over God did something big hey man hey man hey man praise the Lord
now Lord his savior prayed a prayer Lord of would you let this cup pass from me but he said nevertheless
if you don't answer this will be done hey man you and I have been in the fixing it's got it answered that prayer if that cover the past we wouldn't have been around a man we wouldn't been here in the count meet and shout in the victory hey man amen buddy took it any drink and that's why we shouting in Tioga praise God praise God praise God I don't know why that sister teri Spears went through so much I know when she is going through this 22 different times I was later the Lord to call her when she was about to go and pray for over the telephone and I kept on why why mine why should this child I have known all over life from a child why is she going through all of this but it's yet to be seen God had a plan Watson see water taking amen he's used her in the past but watch it from here on praise God God was doing something big amen hallelujah so if he don't answer your prayer hold on he's planning something he's doing something in your life he's moving something out of your life he's putting something in your life that'll make you able raise or give order hands you believe that
and another thing if you're being used of God like brother Billy cold has been you have to watch and don't feel bad about taking a long rest because if we're not careful you know pictures we're all guilty we reach for the man that's got corn in the crib that can get the job done and if we're not careful we're gonna become man's man instead of God's man we need to know where he wants us to go and when he wants us to go and then he'll go with us amen did you ever go to a place and preach everything you knew preachers sale didn't do any good he's just wasn't in the right place the right time something another who's out a step somewhere now I know the gospel will work just about anywhere but if you out of the will of God he might not let it work just to teach us a good lesson amen amen now I want to talk to you just
a little more about why doesn't God answer my prayer and this is personal forgive me never mention it before you know Smith Wigglesworth had a great healing ministry lots and lots of deaf people were healed but he had a daughter sitting on the platform that we kept they've never got her here wonder why was it this thorn in the flesh was to keep him humble I don't know but I have seen so many creative miracles yet I've got a little granddaughter has a hip problem I've seen dozens and dozens heal but she don't get hurt when I pray I don't know why I don't know why Baptist lady was brought in she had cancer the kneecap was gone absolutely had gone and just a little simple prayer didn't even have a healing service they brought her in from off the street and as I prayed for her suddenly she had a brand-new kneecap her husband looked at me and said I'm I'm not Pentecostal said I I never believed in miracles but said you came deny that there it is amen creative miracles signs and wonders I stood one day and watched a woman a girl it's leg was four inches shorter than the other one hit the floor well but not mine she has to wear a built-up shoe and an eye patient for that built-up shoe and I pray and I love that job fine Justin God answered my prayer I don't know I don't know but there's one thing I settled a long time ago God does everything right there's a lot of things I don't understand but I know when it's all said and done he always does it right I don't understand him but he puts him in there and they burn forever and ever I'd have to say man you do what he was doing it's right amen because the scripture there will be cast in today so it's right whether we understand is not whether we feel it's right or not in our own physical way of thinking God does it right aim and aim and aim and amen and if you have prayed the prayer please if you walk with the Lord you've been baptized right you live right and you trust the Lord and it don't come to you suddenly and it does to somebody else just remember God's doing something special for you Oh hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah
hallelujah hallelujah job said I don't understand it I don't understand it I can't find God I don't know ways that but there's one thing though he slay me I'll trusting raise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord
we all have a heartache had a grandson he was my person and only grandson I have some greats thought called him to preach you in that was the thrill of my life and I'll never forget on the platform and I'm still leaving around that phrasing the day was ordained a brother tinny hand me the towel and I took it ladies are that is the highest point in my whole life my grandson was ordained to preach in 1991 he disappeared threw in the towel he quit I put one request before you pray for him to be saved amen amen there's one thing I refuse he may never preach again but I refuse to let the devil have his soul I sublet hallelujah hallelujah I don't understand it now but I will find by God never failed me now there's one of the thing he won't force the human will that everyone has a will a will to choose amen
I'll tell you this I may have mentioned before when I was a little boy 12 years old just received the Holy Ghost care and water from the spring and had to start buckets walking barefooted down the sandy road and all of a sudden I heard a voice thought of them and the voice right out somewhere said has to be a question Tom what are you gonna be when you grow up is it I set the bucket down like scared me to death I looked there before what are you gonna be in other words the Lord is saying it's up to you son choose remember that in life whatever you want to be you can be but you've got to make the choice and then I'll work with you if you make the choice that walk with me I'll walk with it and that's where it is today that's the reason you don't answer our prayers would we think you are too
he has other plans would you stand please God in the name of Jesus I surrender all hallelujah don't ever ask the question why don't God do something he did everything possible when someone dies for you that song that's all nothing else to do it's up to you choose choose you can choose a life of paper you can choose the life of failure it's up to you hallelujah you can choose to go or you can choose to go the other way the power of choice is in your hands halleluja halleluja
Scripture references as spoken: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.