Ahava Love Letter
“Barney”
“… he encouraged them all, that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” (Act s 11: 23-24NAS)
Dear family of friends,
Most of us might remember Barney Rubble, the good friend of Fred Flintstone. You know, Fred, the animated “pre-NASCAR” man who worked the rock quarry, before cell phones could fit in your pocket. Along with his faithful wife, Wilma, and of course Fred’s face-licking mini-dinosaur appropriately named “Dino”, they all were good neighbors and friends of Barney and his black-haired wife Betty. (The original “B&B”.)
You might also recall Barney Fife, the deputy sidekick of Sheriff Andy Griffith, also a TV icon in the early ‘60’s. (OK, so I continually age myself. What does that say about you who remember these guys too??!!) Barney didn’t always get it right, but he tried as best he could. And it made for good entertainment, back in the black and white days.
How many of you remember the other Barney, from the ‘30’s (as in 34-39 A.D.), the one first written about in the 4th chapter of Acts, in our Bibles? Though his name was actually spelled “Barnabas”, I thought I’d get your attention first, and then share what I really want to in this Ahava Love Letter.
Barnabas interests me. He isn’t among the apostles most often written about in the New Testament, nor the one that you hear spoken of much at all in gatherings, alongside the first Twelve. But if it wasn’t for Barnabas, would there be a “Paul”, as we know of the formerly named Saul?
You see, Barnabas was the one who gave Paul the “open door” to the doubting ones in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27.) Especially after the transformed Saul became Paul. Who wouldn’t have been a bit skeptical, if you had known of Saul’s earlier efforts to destroy the first believers in Yeshuah HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ - Hebrew), and then find out he was now “one of you.” Oh really?
Barnabas gave Paul the boost he needed to start his God-given journey. He was the encourager (his name actually means “son of encouragement”), the one who stood up and said, “Give this guy the opportunity to do what the Lord has ordained him to do.”
Barnabas was the one who risked his own reputation, by saying, “This one is genuine”; to stand with him when others would rather have pulled back and let the guy try to prove it on his own; what he had been called to do.
Didn’t you appreciate someone like Barnabas, in your own life, who stood alongside you, holding you up on your wobbly legs, when you first got started in your personal walk with the Lord, and in the calling He apprehended you for?
My “Barnabas” was a young man named Doug Van Hoff, who encouraged me in 1973-77, while the two of us worked together on third shift (11 pm – 6 am) at Eagle’s grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (The “other store” down University Avenue, from Hy-Vee, where football great Kurt Warner worked years later. Another “night stocker”, maybe?)
Doug was a very quiet guy, about five years older than I was at the time (at age 20.) He walked with a slight hump, and had a big smile when he did. During our nightly breaks, we’d sit on the cash register counters, (with the black conveyor belts and all) and he would read a chapter or two from the Bible. Even while the local rock and roll radio station was blasting over the intercom, to keep the whole crew awake!
Sometimes during the night he would walk over to my aisle during “stocking times” and had me question why I was singing so loudly that song then airing. “Do you know what you are singing?” he asked, when I had been belting out along with The Beatles, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” I shut up real quick after my ignorance was replaced with understanding. Thank God.
Doug suggested one night that he and I pray for a person in China to get saved. I had no idea who we were praying for, and questioned to myself the validity of the prayer. Then a couple of nights later he said, “Now that the one we prayed for is saved, we need to pray that they get someone to disciple them.” So we prayed for that one to have a godly man or woman come into their life to help train and encourage them.
Then a week or two later we prayed for that new Chinese believer to get Scripture into their hands, to have the written Word in their own language. Who knew – other than the Lord Himself – that Laurie and I, about 30 years later, in 2002, actually maybe delivered Chinese Bibles and Derek Prince translated teaching books into their hands? Or even their children or disciples, on our trip with director Ross Paterson of Derek Prince Ministries – China? Wouldn’t that have been God??!!
I hope you had a “Barnabas” in your life. I hope you even have one now. That someone who will walk with you, encourage you, and tell you that the Lord is indeed leading you, directing your steps, and you are not alone in your walk with Yeshua. If you don’t have a “Barney” (or “Barnie”, if a lady is the proper fit!) in your life now, ask the Lord. He is faithful and will give you who and what you need. In the meantime, I would love to be an encourager to you, so let me know how I can!
We all need encouragers, whether we have just started on our journey, or are forty years along the mountain trail. I have a few in my life, and am so appreciative of them.
Ahava to you my family of friends,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.
P.S. Beit Tikvah meetings, held as part of Antioch International Church’s desire to bless Israel and instruct believers in our Jewish roots, is held every Friday night at 7 pm in Fort Mill, SC on the former Heritage USA property. We are next to our good friends at Morningstar fellowship. (Address: 8180 Regent Parkway, Ste. 118 Fort Mill, SC 29715)
Laurie and I, along with the Ahava Love Band, share Messianic worship music as we enjoy giving praise to Adonai. Senior Pastor Peter Wyns also loves sharing on his Jewish roots. We are Jews and Gentiles, coming together as one, for His end-time purposes to be fulfilled. We will walk together in unity.
Please plan on joining us when you are in the Charlotte area!
Love For His People , Inc.needs your generous encouragement too. Please consider donating now on-line by clicking here http://www.loveforhispeople.com/ for our website’s “Giving Opportunities” tab, or by sending checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.) ©2011 Steve Martin Love For His People, Inc. P.O. Box 470035 Charlotte, NC 28247-0035 E-mail: ahavaloveletters@gmail.com
Facebook pages: Steve Martin and Love For His People Twitter: martinlighthous and LovingHisPeople
Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858. Tax deductible contributions sent by mail or given on-line will receive an e-receipt for each donation, for you to print out. (Saves the ministry on postage?
Ahava Love letter #15 Date: Feb. 15, in the year of our Lord 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your head from the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC USA