Ken Barnes

  • Entitlement – kenbarnes.us

    Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3 ESV)

    3 min read
  • The Mystery of Godliness – kenbarnes.us

    Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16 ESV)

    3 min read
  • Remembering Our Lord’s Death – kenbarnes.us

    In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. 1 Corinthians 11:25-26 ESV

    2 min read
  • Brevity the Soul of Wit – kenbarnes.us

    Shakespeare once said in the play, Hamlet, “brevity is the soul of wit.” Shakespeare was saying that less words are better than more in communicating something. Being brief is the essence of intelligence and wit.

    2 min read
  • A New Creation – kenbarnes.us

    For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:15-16 ESV)

    3 min read
  • Delayed Obedience is Always Disobedience – kenbarnes.us

    Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” Genesis 24:55-56 ESV

    3 min read
  • A Half-truth is a Whole Lie – kenbarnes.us

    And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.

    3 min read
  • What Goes Around Comes Around – kenbarnes.us

    Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Have relations with your father’s concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” (2 Samuel 16:21 NASB)

    2 min read
  • Make America Righteous Again – kenbarnes.us

    Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)

    3 min read
  • Work Is Worship – kenbarnes.us

    The LORD also said to Moses, “Look, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. (Exodus 31:1-3 NLT)

    3 min read
  • Elisha and the Ax Head – kenbarnes.us

    “Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. 2 Kings 6:6 NLT

    2 min read
  • As It Happened – kenbarnes.us

    So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. (Ruth 2:3 NLT)

    2 min read
  • A Footwasher to the Footwashers – kenbarnes.us

    My Boys Are Good Boys The mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, respectfully approached Jesus. She had what she thought was a small request. “In your kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on the right and the other on the left” (Matt. 20:21 NLT). Many have noted that only a Jewish mother could make such a request. She wasn’t asking much; only one could be the assistant savior, and the other could be the associate Lord. Jesus must have thought that he had heard it all now.

    7 min readFaithLeadershipLeadersStewardship
  • Incomplete Obedience – kenbarnes.us

    Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.” (Deuteronomy 34:4 NLT)

    3 min read Obedience Faith
  • The Cost of Discipleship – kenbarnes.us

    Dietrich Bonhoeffer Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24 NKJV) The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes,” A tightrope walker once would take a wheel barrel across the wire on his high-air act. The tightrope walker points to a man below who enthusiastically affirms he can do it and says, “If you believe you can come up here and get in the barrel, let me wheel you across the wire. In James 2:17-18 NKJV, it says, Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

    2 min readDiscipleshipObedience
  • My Christmas Story – kenbarnes.us

    He (Joseph) took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. (Luke 2:5-7 NLT)

    2 min read
  • Waiting for the Return of Christ – kenbarnes.us

    “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:11 NASB)

    3 min read
  • The Me Generation – kenbarnes.us

    If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire: and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.” (Daniel 3: 17-18 NASB)

    3 min read
  • Worshiping God or Idols – kenbarnes.us

    I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” (Daniel 3:15 NLT)

    2 min read
  • Our Sins, Gone and Forgotten – kenbarnes.us

    Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s Cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the Cross of Christ. Colossians 2:13-15 (NLT)

    2 min read
  • Reaping What You Sow – kenbarnes.us

    While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum. (2 Samuel 15:12 NLT)

    2 min read
  • Sometimes God Says No – kenbarnes.us

    So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:7b-8, 9a NLT)

    3 min read
  • God Said Go, Jonah Said No! – kenbarnes.us

    The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. Jonah 1:1-3a NLT

    2 min read
  • As It Happened – kenbarnes.us

    So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. Ruth 2:3 NLT

    2 min read
  • Jephthah’s Unwise Vow – kenbarnes.us

    And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, “If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” (Judges 11:30-31 NLT)

    2 min read
  • An Alternative to Obedience – kenbarnes.us

    Again, the Devil *took Him along to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and [worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9 NASB

    2 min read
  • Grumbling and Complaining – kenbarnes.us

    The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying, “How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are voicing against Me. Numbers 14:26-27 NASB

    2 min read
  • The Unholy Trinity – kenbarnes.us

    “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the god far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14 NLT)

    2 min readSelfishnessHumility
  • Things are Going to Get Better – kenbarnes.us

    What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. (Matthew 10: 29-31 NLT)

    3 min read
  • Love and Faithfulness – kenbarnes.us

    But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. (Ruth 1:16 NLT)

    2 min read
  • Contagious Giving – kenbarnes.us

    So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project. (Exodus 36: 6-7 NLT)

    3 min read
  • The Meaning Behind the Words – kenbarnes.us

    So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

    2 min read
  • One More, Lord – kenbarnes.us

    Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them. (Jude 1:23 TLB)

    3 min read
  • The Blessing of Desperation – kenbarnes.us

    Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I (Jacob) will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:24,26 NASB)

    2 min read
  • The Fire and the Word – kenbarnes.us

    Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”. (1 Kings 18:38-39 NLT)

    2 min read
  • Adoration–As the Praises Goes Up – kenbarnes.us

    Years ago, I was taught how to open my prayer to the Lord with a very simple acronym that we can all remember… ACTS A-C-T-S A is for adoration—the opening for all our prayers. As David in the Psalms exclaimed, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Adoration was deep within his being and leaped from his soul. When the exiles returned the build the temple, Nehemiah said, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Revelation, a book about the worship of the Lord in Heaven, says, “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’” When we are in Heaven, we will no longer need the other items of A-C-T-S in prayer.

    3 min read
  • For Such a Time as This: 2023 – kenbarnes.us

    If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:4 NLT)

    3 min read
  • Dancing with the King – kenbarnes.us

    There are voices in our society that say to them, “you can be just as good as a man.” This is a step-down because you already are equal with men, and maybe then some. Some would say that Christianity denigrates and makes women second-class citizens. This did not seem to be the case when Jesus lived on Earth. In a culture that truly did subjugate women, they were always there for Him, in good times and bad. Beaming, his face expressed pleasure in his choice for the dance. Everyone in the banquet room soon realized that this was no mere dance. A servant girl had been deemed worthy of being embraced by the King. His acceptance and pleasure in her had elevated her status. Dancing With “The Star” I think you know where I am going with this one. There is a King so much greater than the King of Siam (King Jesus). This King has always had his hand out to us with a look of approval on His face. He gazes upon you like a groom as he watches his bride-to-be approach him on their wedding day.

    3 min read
  • A Christmas Story – kenbarnes.us

    For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NLT)

    3 min read
  • Finished and Unfinished – kenbarnes.us

    So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (Philippians 2:12 NASB)

    2 min read
  • How Much is Enough? – kenbarnes.us

    No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (I Corinthians 10:13 NASB).

    3 min read
  • There is No Distance in Prayer – kenbarnes.us

    We hear this word from Matthew’s Gospel: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matt. Years ago, I heard another phrase that stuck with me, and I think about it when I pray with people over the phone or on social media: “There is no distance in prayer.” Because of Christ, we have a strong connection holding us together! Published in “The Upper Room Magazine” May 2, 2022 I met Cletus Hull through Pure Joy Journal, a digital magazine for which we both write. Cletus has been in pastoral ministry for the last thirty-five years with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in western Pennsylvania. He served as a campus minister at the California University of PA (now PennWest California) from 1989-1996. Enjoy the wisdom of Cletus’ blogs.

    2 min readPrayerSocial Media