God is an overflowing fountain filled with Great Joy and Love.  In His fullness of love, joy, glory and perfect righteousness; He needs nothing more to fulfill Himself.  He is complete.  God, the Father loves the Son with such tremendous love; the son existing from eternity past as part of His triune being.  Father, son was the best way for God to illustrate this relationship in a manner that our finite human minds could comprehend.  So let me try to help you understand this relationship; because this becomes crucial in our understanding God’s Will as well as God’s great love and pleasure in His son.  In order to begin to comprehend God’s great pleasure, we will need to travel back to the creation where ^“God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).  Note God (singular) said Let US (plural).

 

 

Photo used by permission Sarah Barba ©2013 Sarah Barba

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead  Romans 1:20

He created man with Body, Soul and Spirit.  Just as God is Body (Christ-the Son), Soul (The Father) and Spirit (The Holy Spirit); thus, He created mankind in His image as a triune being.  There are moments when the Scripture refer to Christ’s willingness to obey the Father, even to die on the cross in humble obedience to the Father’s will.  Yet, if you have ever ordered your body to get out of bed in the morning and found it

Continue reading The Good Pleasure of God’s Will (Part 2) →

THE GRACE AND GLORY THAT IS THEE

Chosen, redeemed how could it be

Your love reached out and rescued me

From sin’s dark chains I’ve been set free

My heart now whole and filled with glee

 

Oh Lord I cannot understand

All that you have for me now planned

It is upon your love I stand

And journey through this broken land

 

Your Love Divine, I hold so dear

Your voice alone I long to hear

Your words so precious to my ear

Your hope your joy is ever near

 

No other love could mean so much

As your sweet voice and gentle touch

All other loves pour forth as such

Because your love I first do clutch

 

Your love in me doth so compel

To all the world, I must now tell

As praise for you within doth swell

And Thus, Sing forth a great noel

 

Oh, Lord, I ask of thee this plea

To void my heart of all that’s me

So that the world might only see

The Grace and Glory that is thee

 

©2013 Effie Darlene Barba

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.

There is a study upon which I feel urged to embark; although I somewhat tremble at the prospects, for many worthier Bible Scholars have feigned to approach the subject.  Yet, the very depths of it still press upon my heart.  It is in those moments that I find it necessary to withdraw into prayer and study of the scripture.  Only God is able to reveal the truths needed to help me understand and only He can enlighten you, my readers as well.  I cannot have any understanding of Him unless it is He who reveals it.  He, it was that chose me before the foundations of the world.  I marvel at the very thought of it.  There is nothing in me or that I am which would have commended me to Him; yet, He loved me and He chose me. 

“The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.” quoted from

Henry Scougal in The Life of God in the Soul of Man 

Look at Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 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: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”  There it is.  “Predestined unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”  Frequently we may look at someone who loves us and say, “Why do you love me?”  If I were to look at God and ask that very question, I am certain His answer would be

Continue reading The Good Pleasure of God’s Will (Part 1) →

So, Christmas came and passed for this year.  I hope that all of you, as I realize all of the blessings that Christ brought.  We must not forget that Christmas is not about the presents and the gifts, it is about the One Gift God gave to the world.  The Light of the World came that we might have Salvation.  Christ, fulfilled the Law and then took upon Himself the Sins of the World.  He was the Messiah for whom the prophet Isaiah had prophesied and for whom the entire Old Testament pointed toward–the Savior of the World.  He did not come to destroy the Law; but fulfill it as only Perfect Righteousness could.  It was during the time that Mary and Joseph went to the temple to fulfill the laws given by Moses to present Him (Christ) to the Lord and sacrifice a pair of turtle doves, that Simeon comes in. 

Drawing used by permission ©2010 Ronald Barba

Note, Simeon was lead by the Holy Spirit.  He listened and humbly followed the commands of the Spirit.  He spoke praise to God for having fulfilled a promise God had made to him that before He die, He would be allowed to see Christ.  We do not know how long Simeon had waited, nor how tired or aged he became while awaiting that promise; but we do know Simeon listened to the Holy Spirit and waited until the day the Spirit lead Him.  Read Luke’s account.

Continue reading Simeon—Humbly led by Holy Spirit →

As we hustle about in preparation for Christmas, we need to stop for a moment and truly think about what we are celebrating.  We must remember that we are not only celebrating His birth in a manger; but rather we are celebrating His willingness to leave His throne to come to this earth in the vulnerable state as a baby, to suffer the pangs of hunger, to be humbled, and later humiliated – rejected by the very ones He came to save. 

vector image used courtesy of ©istock

Beyond that He would then take upon His shoulders all of the sins, guilt, and shame of mankind that all who accept His Gift of Salvation might then share in His inheritance one day.   Read these scriptures in Isaiah prophesying of Christ’s birth. He refers also

Continue reading Unto Us a Child is Born →