BARNACLES
by Erma Miller (deceased 10/02)

(Reprinted by request from Nov/Dec 1989
Voices From His Excellent Glory)

About two weeks ago, while attending a convention in Dallas, the Holy Spirit spoke some words to me during the worship time. We had sung, we had thanked, we had praised and worshipped. Then there came a quiet time when our spirits were still before the Lord. This is what He said in my ear.

"My people have barnacles on them." To tell you the truth, that is not a word that I have ever used. I knew it had something to do with ships and would weigh them down if not removed.

As I sat there basking in the Lord and wondering exactly what He meant, many things came to mind.

The presence of the Lord was so strong upon me, I finally asked the Lord for a Scripture about this. He gave me Hebrews 12:1. Right during the song service I opened my Bible and it became a little more clear. I read from the King James version. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

Upon arriving home, I went to the dictionary. Barnacle means something that attaches itself, or a thing hard to get rid of. Also, a persistent follower or hanger-on.

Then, I went to Hebrews 12:1 in the Amplified Bible. "Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, (2) Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]."

The Living Bible reads … "let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up, and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor."

BESETTING SINS - God is dealing with our personalities, our self-will, and our worldliness. The battleground is our mind. As Spirit-filled believers we should hope that what we call major sins have been dealt with and overcome upon accepting Jesus. Some people believe that once they repented of their sins upon conversion, that is all they have to do.

NOT SO! That is only the beginning. Usually, on a long race, runners start out slowly and pace themselves. Now we are speeding up, but these weights, these barnacles that have attached themselves upon us, are pulling us down. They are sent by the enemy but we have more or less not considred them as sinful. Well, not too sinful.

We know not to drink, not to smoke, not to curse, and not to commit fornication and adultery.

One of our biggest problems is that we have not read the Bible enough to be convicted about the little things. We don't tell big, black lies ever, but little white lies we think nothing about. We even lie to ourselves, trying to justify everything we do. But the Holy Spirit is touching these spots and wrinkles.

How about the idle words? Ephesians 5:3 (Ampl.), "But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God's con-secrated people)." (4) Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God]. (5) For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]--for he [in effect] is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

1 John 2:15-16, (Ampl) "Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. (vs. 16) For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things]--these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]."

Gal. 5:19-21, (Ampl) "Now the doings (practices) of flesh are clear - obvious: they are immortality, impurity, inde-cency; Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies); Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like, I warn you before hand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."

In Colossians 3:5-9, (Ampl) "So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy de-sires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). (6) It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the divine will), (7) Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices]. (8) But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! (9) Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices, (10) And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it."

James 3:14-16, (Ampl) "But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth. (15) This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal). (16) For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices."

There seems to be no end to besetting sins that we must become aware of, repent, and ask for the precious blood to flow over so we can have authority to cast them off.

1 Timothy 6:4-5, (Ampl) "He is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which result in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions, (5) And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. FROM SUCH WITHDRAW."

Remember that the love of money is the root of all evil. I have never yet heard a sermon on nor seen a deliverance from that spirit. Perhaps money may be taken away and deliverance will come that way.

In these last days, witchcraft is taking over our children because of the intensity with which the enemy is coming down upon the earth. As the Holy Spirit comes down stronger, then satan tries to counterfeit everything that is Godly. Divination is copied after the working of the Holy Spirit. Only by discerning of spirits can we stand and not be taken in by some sort of thinking conjured up by the enemy, the spirit of divination.

This spirit comes down from generation to generation. It is so prevalent that ouija boards are often brought to the classroom. Teachers read children their horoscopes sometimes daily, and they have witches' castles. Games are played involving witchcraft, and even one of the famous brands of ladies' hose is named "witchcraft".

At grocery stores and the malls, employees dress up on Halloween week like witches, the devil, and all sorts of demonic faces. It is becoming common and is looked on as funny.

Everyone needs some deep repentance for things in our blood line which have carried down these things from our forefathers. The book of Joel tells us that the Lord will cleanse our blood that has not been cleansed.

We are equipped to come to the place "without spot or wrinkle." 1 Corinthians 9:24 reads, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize. So run your race that you may lay hold of the prize and make it yours."

In Philippians 2:12, "Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). (13) [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satis-faction and delight. (14) Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [ against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves], (15) That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world."

Keep pressing toward the goal to win the supreme, heavenly prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

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