However long it took my heart to grasp the truth of my being God’s Beloved Child, the Beloved Precious Bride to Be of Jesus Christ His Son; purchased by the shed blood of Christ on the Cross; the truth transformed me and my life!  Knowing my position in Christ Jesus as His beloved bride to be; changes my vantage point in viewing everything else in my life.  Because of His Amazing Love for me; all my relationships also changed.  Once I fully understand the truth of His Love, I no longer enter life needing to be loved; because His Love is sufficient to fill my own heart to the overflowing.  That frees me to love without the fears, anxieties, and demands that my own heart would otherwise have known.  Because His Love fills my heart to the overflowing with Joy; I am freed to love Unconditionally others.

Beginning February 15, 2016, I shared my life story here within the pages of the world wide web. The title of that series: In Search of Love.  Within that series I honestly and openly told the world all my failures, my sins, and my road to learning of God’s wondrous love for me; because I hoped by doing so, I would help you.  My journey lead me through many sorrows, heartbreaks and moments of despair; until I learned the truth. Regardless, throughout the journey; God remained faithful in His love toward me.  Never for a moment; did He stop loving me.  Patiently, gently He went about the task of preparing me to become the precious bride; clothed in white that He purposed me to become in Christ Jesus.

ERASING THE TAPES

Continue reading How to Love Unconditionally as Christs Beloved Bride to Be →

During this lifetime, trials come that oppress our hearts and souls.  Desperately, we pray; hoping and believing the answer will arrive quickly. Sometimes years go by with no evidence that our prayers were heard and our faith begins to fade.  Why didn’t God answer me?  Often, we wonder if the lack of answer proved our own failure of faith or even worse proved God did not really love us.   Because we base our acceptance in Him; upon His response; often, we become dejected or plagued by feelings of rejection while waiting, hoping for a response.  Our failure to understand the truth of His love, leaves us doubting with hearts of fear.

During those moments, we must look back over the many times He has held His promises true.  During those years of waiting, He is working in our hearts until we discover the depth of His love; letting go of every counterfeit joy until Nothing Else Will Ever Do apart from Him. Truth must overtake our minds to push out all the doubts and fears; because they are only the lies whispered by Satan into our ears.  God’s word is very clear that “all things work together for our Good” (Romans 828)  His love will never leave us (Romans 8:35-39)

2 CORINTHIANS 1:18-20

God is true, ….For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Every promise of God is true in Jesus Christ.  Because all promises are true in and by Jesus Christ; then, we have no fear.  Often, the problem arises because we think the answer we seek in prayer is such that nothing else will ever do.  As God guides us through our life; we come to realize that everything else is nothing compared to Him.  Furthermore, we recognize His Will provides us with His best for us; then, we realize that finding our life embedded in His Love, Hope and joy means nothing else will ever do except His Will, nothing more, nothing less and nothing else.

Nothing Else Will Ever Do

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

When storms arise, the darkest of night

I cry to You, to bring me light

Your answers hid I cannot see

I see no hope of victory

My mind is filled with fear and doubt

I cannot see my own way out

 

When all my prayers I fear unheard

My future dreams, lost and blurred

Open my eyes to see Your truth

Remembering all my days since youth

Promises sealed by your dear Grace

How every tear, revealed Your Face

 

Then calm my heart that I might see

Your plans for good; You have for me

Your answers come just as You’ve planned

Delivered by Your loving hand

In perfect timing You bestow

To me your best Your heart to know

 

Fill full my heart and lift my soul

That I might seek Your precious goal

And cast away all doubt and fear

To follow You, Your will adhere

You, my King and greatest treasure

Rise high above all worldly pleasure

 

Because I keep Your love in view

My joy, my hope abides in You

Your answer then so bright and clear

This trial Lord brought You so near

That I might find my life in You

And nothing else will ever do.

CONCLUDING TWEETS

[tweetthis]All God’s promises are true in Jesus Christ[/tweetthis]

[bctt tweet=”When we find our life embedded in, abiding in Jesus Christ: we realize, Nothing Else will ever do.” username=”effiedarlene”]

This is an original Drawing by an amazing artist. Check out his work: http://roninron.com .

You cannot copy or duplicate this picture without permission; because of copyright laws.

 

 

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 

I cannot tell when those dreaded feelings of rejection started in my heart.  They go back to the very beginning of my memories.  Always striving to gain love and acceptance, I became my own worst critic.  Perhaps I could try to blame my childhood.  After all, I was the obese little girl with a stutter as I began first grade.  It is no wonder that I embraced my Christian walk with that same feelings of rejection.  Unwanted, uninvited and undeserving in life; therefore, I would just work really hard so God couldn’t uninvite me.  Although I knew the truth of eternal salvation theologically; my heart had not fully embraced this.  Because I so wanted to earn God’s love, I fought very hard to become His Beloved. Yet, I always felt deep within a failure.

Those feelings I hid well; much as I suspect you do.  After all, it is human nature that pushes us to desire self-aggrandization.  Yet, because we each come into this world flawed, broken until made whole by God’s loving grace transforming our nothingness into Full Radiant Being in Him; we each must one day come face to face with our own inability and frailty.  Even the staunches atheists such as Jean Paul Sartre and Friedrich Nietzsche came to the conclusions that life was very bleak and humanity lost in a sea of despair.  From the moment, we emerge from our mother’s womb we need to feel loved, to be someone’s beloved.  We fight for recognition, love, and acceptance.

A FLAILING ATTEMPT TO BECOME HIS BELOVED

So, it has always been the one lie Satan could best wield against me.  He would whisper of my failures.  I remember once having been spanked by a teacher.  That drove my young heart into deep despair; so much so, when another adult jokingly asked, “Have you ever been spanked?  I said “NO!”  Then, the fact of my lie caused me plagued me for years.  God must hate a liar; yet, I knew the day and time I accepted Christ as my Savior.  How could I fail God by lying?  Well, I wish I could say this lie was my worst offense against God.

Instead, I fell much further.  My desperate need to be loved lead me down some lonely dark paths; or so, it seemed to me.  The amazing part was: No matter how dark a path I chose, God was always standing there at the end of the path to say, “I love you, Come, we have work to do!”

Remember the story of Peter’s denial of Christ?  Peter went back to fishing.  He thought there was no way, Christ would use him.  Instead, Christ came to meet Peter right where it all began to remind him that he was His Beloved Disciple.  Never did Christ confront Peter about his denial; instead, three times He asked Peter about his love and each time, He commissioned Peter to continue in the ministry.  That is the Amazing truth about Grace, in Christ; Peter remained His Beloved even when he failed.  In Christ, I am God’s Beloved.  The same is true for you who have accepted Christ as your Savior, in Christ; you are His Beloved.  Go back and read John 20, Mark 13 and 14.

SCRIPTURES DECLARING US HIS BELOVED

beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Not even I can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Forever, in Christ I am His Beloved.  He will groom me, transform me, and prepare me to stand with Him in glory clothed with His perfect righteousness as His Beloved.

 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17:21-22

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

No matter how far your feet have strayed.  Regardless of the lies of Satan you have believed.  Nothing can separate you from the love of God.  In Christ Jesus, wrapped in His Perfect Robe of Righteousness through faith; you are forever His Beloved.  Believe that, cling fast to the truth of your position in Him; then, you will stand firm and strong against Satan’s lies.  Tear down the strongholds that hold your thoughts captive with this truth.

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

The drive to the airport was filled with heart wrenching pain.  My dear brother had died suddenly in a car accident.  As I prepared to go, filled with grief; suddenly, Pete (my husband) began a rant.  “When you return, I want a divorce.” I don’t remember much else of the harsh words; as my mind was torn between my two sons sitting in the back seat and the grief that tore through my heart.  The argument began when I pleaded to take my sons with me.  I tried to hide my fears of leaving them alone with Pete.  After all, I never knew for certain when he could be too harsh or violent.  Crushed and completely broken, I slowly got out of the car at the airport; hugging both of my sons.  Hard at that moment to see myself as God’s redeemed child; at the good pleasure of His will!

According to the Good Pleasure of God’s will?  The abuse, the sorrow, the pain that interwove my life; was this all punishment for my sin?  What did it mean to be God’s redeemed Child?  Filled with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ?  Right at that moment, I fell into the darkest despair.  I did not even notice the passengers around me as tears flowed from my eyes.  Then, amid all my pain; I remembered the sweet moment three weeks prior when by some horrible coincidence of fate, a contractor walked out in the middle of a job at our home.  Pete furious!  Because of the need for help; Charlie (my dear sweet brother) arrived to spend one week at our home to help.  What an act of Grace! That week we had talked about everything!  His worries over my life allayed by understanding my purpose, why I stayed.

BITTERSWEET MEMORIES

God’s Grace sent Charlie to my home; so, I could say “I love you to my brother” one last time.  My chance to say Goodbye; before the tragic car accident.  Settling in my seat, a song began to play in my head.  Not a song I had ever heard.  This was a new song.  The first Christian poem I ever wrote.  The chorus of which went:

I’ll be your strength when you are weary

And your hope when skies are gray

I’ll be your faith when yours is failing

And your light on each dark day

I’ll be the love to your lonely heart

When it’s breaking in despair

I’ll be all in all your everything

If you look to me in prayer

Suddenly, my fears, doubts, and worries faded away.  As though, God; Himself was cradling me in His arms.  Beyond that, I stood firmly with renewed strength to comfort my grieving parents.  When I returned home, the children safe; there was never a mention of the conversation on the way to the airport. I found out that week Pete had been kind, gracious and loving to the boys.   God’s plan may at times be very difficult as we walk through this life; but, we can rest assured as His redeemed child–nothing can separate us from His love (not even my own fears, doubts, and failures)

GOD’S REDEEMED CHILD

I am God’s redeemed child; adopted into His family.  Through Christ Jesus, I am redeemed; because of the good pleasure of His will.  That does not change amid the trials we face.  Truth overcomes and takes captive our thoughts, so we can stand firm in every trial of life.  Pains, trials and sorrows are part of this life on earth; yet, they are NOT a punishment; because I am God’s redeemed Child.  Rather, they are stepping stones to seeing His Glory in us, through us, by grace.

EPHESIANS 1:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches o f his grace;

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself

 

THE SONG

Later the song I heard in my head was recorded; although, the music is different than what I heard.  Since I do not know how to write music, they added their own sound.  Personally, the version God played in my head; I think was better.  But, I wanted to share it with you anyway with all the words.

 

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

As God’s redeemed Child; you have nothing to fear.  He remains at your side when everything appears dark and broken.  I know; because, He never let go of me.  He was there to comfort me when I could only cry.

Concluding tweets

[tweetthis]Redeemed, chosen Beloved Child of God, by the good pleasure of His will[/tweetthis]

[bctt tweet=”In darkest hours of deepest pain, God has never left my side as He sang love songs over me” username=”effiedarlene”]

[tweetthis]Every trial heartbreak & pain  brought me nearer to God wherein is my joy[/tweetthis]

 

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Spiritual Warfare is real.  Christians face demonic attack every day.  Indeed, those attacks  intensify whenever we are winning battles.  Satan, the supreme liar and accuser of the brethren wants to destroy your testimony and mine.  Paul spends the first three  and ½ chapters of the letter “Ephesians” describing in detail the position every Christian hold in Christ.  Then, Paul writes concerning characteristics of the Christian walk.  Finally, he ends in Chapter 6 describing the Spiritual Battle every Christian must face.  The battle is raging in the Spiritual Realm beyond our sight; however, it also rages within our minds and thoughts.  The order presented by Paul was not coincidental.  Before, you and I can win this Spiritual Warfare happening in our minds; we must know our position in Christ.  Victory is ours; because, Jesus won that victory at Calvary.

For me, the same proved true.  My salvation certainly remained secure from the moment I first accepted Christ as my Savior; however, in the day to day battles often I met defeat.  I tried harder, studied intensely, pleaded forgiveness and promised that I would do better.  Alas, I would advance 10 steps and fall back 12.  Satan attacked relentlessly in the recesses of my mind.  As the liar and accuser that he is; Satan whispered: “God can’t possibly really love you after all your failures.  You will never be good enough!  Why do you keep writing, God won’t use you to help anyone!  Aha, look you failed again!  Why would God Bless you?  Maybe this is God’s punishment; after all, that is what you deserve:  NOTHING!”  On and on Satan would rant, sometimes shouting in my thoughts until I would throw up my hands in defeat.

Not anymore, I have learned how to raise my hand and firmly say, “Satan, You ARE a liar!  I am God’s Blessed, Chosen Beloved Child.  So, shut up Satan, I have work to do for my Father.”

SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN OUR THOUGHTS

Continue reading How to Win Spiritual Warfare: Knowing Your Position →