Rick Barton Ministries
  • Home
  • Newsletters
  • Do you know Jesus?
    • How to become a Christian
    • Steps to Peace with God
  • About
    • About Rick
    • Rick's History
    • Board Members
    • What's Going on Now
    • Calendar
    • Our Prayer Requests
    • Financial Requirements
    • Sermon Audio Samples
  • Contact Us
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Newsletters
  • Do you know Jesus?
    • How to become a Christian
    • Steps to Peace with God
  • About
    • About Rick
    • Rick's History
    • Board Members
    • What's Going on Now
    • Calendar
    • Our Prayer Requests
    • Financial Requirements
    • Sermon Audio Samples
  • Contact Us
  • Videos

​Newsletters

“Disappointment” or “His Appointment”

7/1/2018

 
The fire season has started pretty strong in Western Colorado, but I haven’t been out yet. Yes, I passed the “pack test” with time to spare, my gear is ready and my health is restored. But I’ve not made myself available except for local fires. Why, because the Lord had different assignments for me! If I had been on a 14-day fire assignment, I wouldn’t have been able to help a father, son and local woman come to the Savior in Esterbrook WY. We would have missed the chance to meet with Joe Packard, a former student in our 2000 Fellowship of Christian Athlete group at Western. Joe left a life of wandering from Jesus to become a pastor. We wouldn’t have had the opportunity to answer a call from hospice to visit and share Jesus with a local ranching family. And, we wouldn’t have had the chance to be with and pray with a young couple whose child is in critical condition in Denver’s Children’s Hospital.

Last night (6/29) I shared for an hour and half on a Christian Truckers Network radio program, “The Lord’s Roundtable”. The gentleman who hosted the show called me this morning to say that one thing I shared really impacted him. It was when I said that if we change the letter “D” in Disappointment to an “H”, it becomes “His Appointment”. Is it hard emotionally for me not to be going out on a fire assignment right now? Yes. But as I look at all the wonderful things the Lord has done, I bow in gratitude. (*Update: just got a fire call and they’ll work with my tight schedule! My disappointment turned into His Appointment.) PTL

Answered Prayers: We shared earlier with you how a Christian couple had come to our meetings in OK and asked to be anointed with oil and ask God for healing (James 5:14-15). She was struggling with terrible headaches and he with cancer. We prayed. I talked with them today. The headaches have almost completely ceased and the cancer is going away! Praise the Lord! Yesterday a man called and asked for prayer because a forest fire was approaching their lodging, this morning he called to report the winds changed in the middle of the night and moved the fire in another direction. God answers prayer!

Last Month: June started well as we held services in Pitkin, CO Memorial Day Weekend and sensed a wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit. The next two Sundays we shared God’s word in Tin Cup, CO and the Lord brought Forest Service friends to hear and I believe respond to the gospel. Then on Father’s Day in Esterbrook WY we saw God turn “disappointment” into “His appointment”. It was to be “Buckboard Sunday” complete with horse rides, chuck wagon breakfast and buckboard rides to church. Instead, it rained for 3 days. No horses, no chuck wagon breakfast and no buckboard rides. Only half the normal attendees made it because the dirt roads became dangerous. Yet, when we shared the gospel and invited people to respond, three of the fifty in attendance gave their lives to the Savior including a father and his 14-year-old son. In addition, several recommitted their lives to Jesus! Your prayers were answered!
The next Sunday I was able to attend a service in Sargents, CO to hear Leonard, a man I had helped come to Jesus 40 years ago preach his first sermon! Your prayers and support have allowed us to do these things!

Follow-up: A few days after Esterbrook, we attended a “homecoming service” for Lois Dick in Lakewood CO. It so happened that the father and son who received Christ live in Lakewood. I was able to give the pastor their names and received assurance they would be followed up on! Wherever we share the good news of salvation, we also try to have someone local follow up on their commitment.

New Testaments: Daniel, a former inmate that we had sent a firefighter New Testament to, is now out of jail and requested 20 more to distribute to co-workers on his Forest Service fire crew. Sunbelt Fire, a fire truck manufacturer requested 50 more, they place one in each vehicle they sell. The Supply Cache, a fire gear supply company, requested 50 more to make available to customers. Please pray the Lord uses each one!

In Memorial: Lois Dick and Dr. Doug Stewart. Lois and her husband Wally trusted Christ in Gunnison in the early 1970s. Then they turned the largest bar in town into a Christian bookstore! They gave us free use of their facilities for our early Bible studies and went on to serve God in counselling ministry. Doug and his wife Marie were instrumental in the lives of many students at Western State here in Gunnison including Melva and I. They walked with us through our early ministry days and have continued to faithfully pray for us over the years. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants.” Psalm 116:15 NIV

Upcoming: Lord willing, July 7, Joy and our two granddaughters (Hannah and Bethan) arrive from Scotland for four weeks. Stephen will join us two weeks later. We’re looking forward to some great family time as we spend a few days with Rebekah and Nick in Edwards, CO as well as Steve-Annie-Samuel and Tim-Sara and “baby on the way” in Los Angeles. We conduct 4 rodeo services during our Cattleman’s Days Rodeo (7/12-15), and a multi-church service in Norwood, CO (7/29). Please pray for a book of my fire stories is compiled. Please continue your prayers for us as we travel and share!

Prayer Requests: For the anointing of the Holy Spirit as we share locally and out of town. Please pray for healing for 7-month-old Owen Pennington. Owen is the child of Daniel and Krista Pennington, faithful Christian workers here in Gunnison. He has been at Children’s hospital in Denver since June 13 with serious medical issues. Please pray for each of the New Testaments we’ve sent out, for the radio program I did and for the devotional spots I was asked to do for our local radio station; that they will speak to hearts locally and around the world! Please pray for all our “alumni missionaries” around the world, that the Lord will bless and protect them. For protection and blessings as we travel.

Finances: Each day we marvel at how the Lord provides for every need. Melva and I pray over each gift that comes, asking to Lord to bless the giver and show us how He wants us to use His money. Thank you!

May the Lord Jesus richly bless you! And may He help you see that your “disappointments” can in fact be “His appointments”. Rick and Melva Barton

*This is our quarterly newsletter, we’d love to have you on our monthly update, just let us know.
Picture

    Newsletters

    We send out monthly newsletters. If you would like to be on our mailing list, enter your email address and click the "Subscribe to Newsletter" button at the very bottom of this page.

    If you would like us to send you a paper copy of our newsletter, visit our "Contact Us" page and send a request for a paper copy with your physical address.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    RSS Feed

Rick Barton Ministires

PO Box 1155
Gunnison, CO 81230

[email protected]

​970- 641-3583
Contact Us

Rick Barton Ministries exists for the dual purpose of:

• Presenting the Gospel message of salvation to men and women, boys and girls around the world.

• Encouraging Christians everywhere to greater faith in God, joyful service to Him, and full participation in a local, Christ-centered church.​
Would you like to support RBM?

    Join our monthly newsletter

Subscribe to Newsletter