Grapevine Ministries
Messages from the bible to uplift and encourage those that need a word from the Lord, to strengthen their faith. Ps Phillip Barker is an itinerant pastor in Perth, Western Australia.
Grapevine Ministries
All Things Work Together For Good New Year Same God
Start the year with a sturdier kind of hope. We open 2026 by wrestling with a hard but life-giving truth: all things work together for good for those who love God, even when the timing and the outcome don’t match our plans. Rather than papering over pain, we look it in the eye and ask what it means to trust God’s character when the results we prayed for don’t arrive on cue.
We walk through the names of God—provider, I Am—and why they matter when the ground shifts. The furnace story in Daniel becomes a model for courage: “He is able to deliver us… and even if not.” From there, Hebrews 11 expands our imagination for faith that is commended both in rescue and in unresolved longing. Along the way, we share a Portuguese fable that cautions against quick verdicts, reminding us that we often see only a fragment of the bigger work God is weaving.
This conversation gets practical. We outline simple daily rhythms—ten minutes of prayer at dawn and at dusk, gratitude that reframes the day, and putting on the armour of God before stepping into the fray. We revisit the windshield and rear-view mirror image to shift attention from past missteps to present calling. We speak to those carrying regrets, those raised in faith who wandered, and those stepping back toward God, pointing to mercy that welcomes and purpose that steadies. Finally, we invite you to choose a scripture banner for 2026, declare who God is over your calendar, and step forward with a faith that holds firm whether you see the miracle now or later.
If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a quick review so more people can find these conversations. Tell us: which promise are you carrying into 2026?
Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries.
Please feel free to check out my first publication, it is also available on Google and Amazon Books.
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Now, welcome to 2026. Now, I suppose you've all heard my messages, hopefully, or you've been on a sabbatical, you're entitled to have some time off. Everybody is entitled to rest and relaxation. In the military, we used to call this R R, and uh it was always good to get away and and and to cleanse the mind, refresh the body, and do all that sort of stuff. So, starting off with 2026, it's January the 4th, and this is about all things work together for good. See, when life is good, it's easier to quote Romans 8:28. All things work together for good, but when life is not so good, is this verse still true? Well, there are other verses in the Bible still true when our circumstances do not fit with the promises of God. Now, you probably already know this, but I'm going to say it anyway. The answer is always yes. It's not that the Bible promises are lacking, it's the fact that you know we sometimes go through trials and tribulations in our life and we find ourselves not experiencing all the blessings that the Father has got for us. Because in the natural, it's our understanding or our perspective is lacking in some area. As we continue on our journey towards you know a start of a new year, we look behind us, and like I did when we were talking about Christmas, I just discussed a proper understanding and a perspective of God's promise that all things do work together for good, and and that is why Romans 8 28, and I quote this, and we know that all things work together for good for those who love God to those who are called according to his purpose. Now, you may not think that you fall into that category, but you are. Okay, so it's it's a statement which is made because we know that we know that we know that the word of God is the same today, yesterday, and forever. It never changes. It is been tried to be disproved by so many theologians, um, atheists. The list goes on and on, but it is one thing that has stayed the course of time. The Bible is the written hand of God, but penned through people that he actually uses. That's the easiest way of putting it. It's God's word, but man penned it. But it's like when you read other scriptures, you see, you know, Jesus even making statements. You know, it's not it's not man that has revealed this to you, but uh my heavenly father. So Jesus is making a statement that you know you know the word of God and you know what is true because it says it's true. God's promises are sure, God's promises are reliable no matter how unreliable our lives are. In Genesis 22 14, Abraham called Jehovah Jirah, meaning God is my provider. In the Psalms, the psalmist wrote in 127.2, God gives his beloved sheep. See, we are called to believe in these promises even when we struggle. God's word is not inadequate, it's not incomplete, but our understanding or our perspective can be not complete. You may be thinking, sure, Pastor, it's easy for you, you're not going through what I am, and you're right, everyone has their own challenges, and even though I have had some humongous challenges in my life, and my family have had to endure, you know, so much over such a long period of time, I'm not dealing with your situation right now that you're in. Everybody is unique, and that is one of the reasons it is important for us to give testimonies, and I've done that, and I'll be mentioning this over the next few weeks and maybe months from time to time. Um, I've finally written my first book, you know, and it's called, you know, look at that. Even I have little lapses in my memory. It's called Walking on Sunshine. God laid this upon my heart and Maria's heart some some many years ago, and we have done so many versions of it, it's it's it's ridiculous, and it's been everywhere from 500 pages to like 40. But eventually we came to the conclusion that we need to be led by God and his word, and the Holy Spirit guided us through being able to do this book, and you may not know this, but me writing a book is probably a bigger miracle than God raising me up out of the wheelchair, but that's for another time. We need to focus on this because all things do work together for good. The Bible says believers will have troubles, most famously in John 16 33, where Jesus says, uh, in this world you will have troubles. Other passages support this by explaining that troubles and persecution are part of a life of faith, such as 2 Timothy 312, which states all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, and 1 Peter 4:12 says, which encourages believers not to be surprised by the fiery trials, and I want to focus on that a little bit more, um, but I still believe and stand on his word, all things do work together for good. Because if everything was perfect in our lives, and look, God doesn't make things happen, everything that comes from God is good, it's loving, it's compassionate, it's grace, it's mercy, it's forgiveness, it's healing, it's restoration. The list goes on and on and on. That is why God, our heavenly father, has so many names, you know. We're just saying, like, you know, when when God talks about his names, and he made a point of doing this when uh he was talking to Moses, and he was saying, Well, how's everybody gonna listen to me? Who do they know that I am? And he goes, Well, I am, and that's all he needed to say is because back in those days, before the new covenant with Jesus and everything, he was known as I am, but we also know that he's Jehovah Jirah, God is our provider, he is uh Jehovah Shira, he is Jehovah Nisin, he is Jehovah, you know, the list goes on and on and on. We need to know his word and what part of his word of faith pertains to us at that particular time. See, the Bible say that we will have troubles, and I know it's it does not equal mine or your expected outcomes, but just look at Hannah, uh Mishal Azaria, King Nebuchadnezzar, he had commanded all to bow to a golden image. Now Hannah, Mel and Azariah perhaps are better known by their Babylonian names as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo, who refused to bow under the threat of a fiery death. Now, in Daniel three sixteen to eighteen, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedigo answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand, O king. Wow, that's a pretty bold statement, right? Knowing who you are in Christ enables you to make statements like that. And he went on to say this, but if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not deserve or serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up. They relied totally on God's ability, not their expected outcomes. They want God to deliver them from the fire, but were prepared to be faithful even if such was not going to be able to rescue them, and then they knew that it was their time to go with the bul the Lord. Now, these are just examples of faith. I don't expect anyone to jump into a fire to see if Jesus appears, you know. John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul, these men were beheaded for their faith, not getting their deliverance in this life. The others in Hebrew 11, Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11 lists many people whom God delivered, but then lists the others who were also great men and women of faith, and yet were not delivered. Look, they say that this is why the word of God is a mystery. Hebrews 11 35 to 40 says others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mocking and scourging, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sworn into, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskin and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, or whom the world was not worthy of. They wandered in the desert and mountains, in dens and caves of earth, and all these having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. They were commended not because everything turned out as they had hoped, but because their hope was in Christ. I think the clear picture is here that even in society the way it is at the moment, we have a tendency to have greater expectations or outcomes of something that we uh try to obtain, whether it's uh a promotion, whether it's starting up our own business, whether it's you know, like just in buying a house or a car, you know, and we always have a tendency in the natural to get our ambitions mixed up with our capabilities. Why? Well, primarily I believe that that is because we don't put our trust in God. The good that God promises may not come in our lifetime, but it will come. That is his promise. Uh, Max Licardo, uh, I read a few of his books. Um, he is a very, very good um author uh and dedicated Christian. Uh, there's a book that's called The Eye of the Storm. Uh, it's retold of a Portuguese fable about a poor man who refused to sell his regal horse because the horse was like a member of the family. When the horse went missing from the stable, the villagers called the man cursed, and he responded, whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will happen next? For each seemingly good thing, the villagers would call the poor man blessed, and for each seemingly bad thing they would call the man cursed. But the man always responded in the same way. All we can see is a fragment. If God was to reveal to any one of us what he had planned for us in our future, because believe it or not, um we all have a plan and a purpose in our life, we're not an accident, irrespective of what our parents say or whatever happens. You were brought into this world to live a godly life. Whether you do that or it comes to pass is irrelevant. Uh, even to the extent where I've seen some people in and out of the prison system for many, many years, and then late at life, um, like I'm talking in their late 40s or even 50s, all of a sudden they have this revelation knowledge from God, and their whole life changes in the blink of an eye, and you see this person, and you think, how can that person be a follower of Jesus Christ, or how can that person be like that? Well, we don't have to go very far if we just go back to the word of God, and we see um, you know, we look at Saul, Saul of Tarsus, right? He was excited about getting a decree from the king that he could persecute, you know, beat, kill, capture, or whatever. He actually had an order that he carried around with him that was saying he could do anything you like to Christians. And yet, when he had that encounter on the road to Damascus, his life changed in the blink of an eye. Always remember that when you look at your life or someone else's life, you know, there is a possibility, there is a prospect for everybody to come to know Christ. And what better time to do it as you're leaving the old year behind you, 2025, it's gone, it's it's over, and we're now into 2026, and you've got to get there and you say, Wow, things can only get better, and that's the philosophy that you need to have. 1 Corinthians 13 12 says this for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face, know that I now in part, but then I shall just as I also am. I know I've said this before about the windshield and the rear vision mirror, but it's very, very true, you know. And for those that haven't heard it, okay, you look at the rear view mirror, and it is small because what is behind is the past. You know, old things are passed away, behold, everything has become new. Your windscreen is large so you can see what is present and what is going to be the future. Look to where you're going, not to where you've come from. Everybody has a past, even those, and I know everybody be thinking it, and they'll be saying it, oh yeah. But what about if you're born into a beautiful Christian family and you grow up and you do this? But look, I know many people that have been born and raised in a Christian family, and both their parents have been in the five-fold ministry. But they still go astray. Yes, they come back. Well, let's look at a classic example. Once again, go back to the Bible, and we look at the prodigal son. Now he went, he took his money, and he did everything that was in the world that he could possibly get his hands on. And then it all fell apart. And then he he thought he was going to come back groveling to his father, say, please take me back, even as just a servant. And yet his father welcomed him with open arms, and you know, they threw a big feast. You can read about that as well. All things work together for good because God is good. God's goodness towards us is based on his mercy and grace, not on our behavior. But that's not a ticket to go out and be a rebel without a cause and then think you just come back to God. No. He wants you to be willing to come to him. If you don't believe this truth, you should believe that he knows the character of you. You are bad because bad things happen to you, or that you are good because good things happen to you. There is none good in God, there is not one righteous except Jesus. A rich man called Jesus a good teacher, and to ascertain whether the man knew what calling him good implied, he said this in Matthew 19 17. No one is good but one, and that is God. In Psalm 34, 8 it says, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him. See, all things work together for good for those that love God. This is a promise for God's children, not the whole world. We are all made in God's image, but we are not all children of God. While God is merciful to unbelievers, he does not reward their disobedience. This promise is only for those who have trusted in Christ for their salvation. Romans eight seventeen and it says, and if children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, not that we may also be glorified together. All things work together for good, equals God's intended purpose. Romans eight twenty-eight, according to his purpose. Even in suffering, God has a plan for all of us. In Psalm 27, 13 to 14, it says, I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. You see, sometimes God uses suffering to cause us to draw close to him and to hear his voice, but he never causes suffering and pain. Everything good comes from above. Look, if you are one of those people that does the New Year's resolution, then make that resolution to pressure to God and to draw on his goodness. Get to have a better relationship with him. Try and make him your focus, your number one thing. It just comes to me automatically. And they do this on a daily basis. But I ask you, are they any closer to God than you or me? Well, you would think so. I know pastors that don't spend that much time, you know, uh getting their message or praying for people in the church or anything like that. You've got to put things into perspective. See, God talks about, he wants us to come with him with an open heart. He wants us to give ourselves freely to him. He wants us to put him first and foremost in everything we say and everything we do. So that wasn't me. I couldn't do that. I couldn't be that person, even when I was in full-time ministry for a very long time. But what I did do is I I listened to what you know God was telling me. And so I started doing okay, 10 minutes in the morning before I start my day, and 10 minutes at the end of the day, you know, and at the end of the day, I thank the Lord for the day that I had. Why I could have had the worst day I've had in months, but the thing is, you know, God willing, I live another day. Every morning you wake up and draw breath is a new day in Christ. It is a new day in the kingdom of God, even though we live in an ungodly world, we are surrounded by ungodly things, we are in Christ, and Christ is in us. The vine is in the branches, and the branches are in the vine. Okay, the two work harmoniously together. You know, it's a threefold thing: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, Spirit, okay, not me, myself, and I. It's me, Jesus, and God. And the reason I'm saying that is because, you know, you need to prepare your day. It's like it's like in the military, you know, you put on your battle armor and you get all your gear ready because you're going to fight. Okay, you we fight the good fight of faith, right? We are in a fight against principalities, powers of darkness, you know, and and we've got to put on the full armor of God every morning, right? And if you remember to do that, you get up and you get ready for battle, and whatever life throws at you, you get through the day, and at the end of the day, you say, Thank you, Lord, that I made it through this day. If you've got something to praise and worship and thank him for, that is, you know, like something over and above just surviving the day, then you can do that as well. We're on a journey, right? Just like the the Israelites in the desert, because they were in and out of favor with God, they were to walk around aimlessly for 40 years in the wilderness before they saw the promised land. And yet, everybody that left captivity, none of them got to see the promised land, but their offspring did. As simple as that as an analogy, they had favor with God, they left the captivity, which they'd been in for many, many years, okay, and they got set free. They could have walked to the promised land in six weeks, but they didn't. Because humans being humans, we kept messing up, and God just got us walking around and around and around. And eventually, when he found those that were worthy to cross over into the promised land, I don't know, I'm saying they're perfect, they weren't perfect, but they were better than what was left captivity of Egypt, and they got into the promised land, right? We are getting into the promised land, and that promised land is a better place than where we are now. Everything is temporal, subject to change. We live in this world, but we're not of it. Okay. Um, we need to try and go about doing good and healing all those who are oppressed of the devil. Luke 4, 18 and 19 says the Spirit of the Lord is upon us because he has anointed us to preach the gospel, to heal a brokenhearted, to set those that are in captivity free, to declare the acceptable year of the Lord. You know, we need to grab hold of scriptures like that and say, This is the scripture that I'm going to have for 2026. You know, we're going over, not under, with the head, not the tail. We're above and not beneath. The enemy is under our feet, you know. This is the day that the Lord has made, and we shall rejoice and be glad in it. And I just want you to sort of like focus on what you plan to do this year in comparison to what you did last year. Are we going to learn from our past transgressions, or are we going to be doing the same old, same old over again? Penny for your thoughts. God bless and take care, and we'll see you later on in January. Bye for now.
