Do You Know My Betrothed?

Do you know my betrothed?

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. Mark 2:18-20  

Who is my betrothed, my greatest love?  His name is Jesus.  What a beautiful picture of perfect love!  Not that I first loved Him; but, throughout my life, He has drawn me in by His love for me.  Once Billy Graham was asked in an interview, if he could have done anything different, what would it be.  His answer, I would have traveled less, studied more, prayed more and spend more time just telling the Lord how much I love Him and adore Him.  Parkinson’s disease left him confined to his home. The last few years of his life, he spent his days sitting in his chair with great joy just loving Jesus.

A REFLECTION ON MY GRANDFATHER

My Grandfather lived to be 104.  Macular degeneration had left him nearly blind.  He lived alone in his home.  Each day, he would sit in his recliner listening to tapes of the Bible; once his eyesight did not allow him to read anymore.  He spent each day telling Jesus how much he loved Him.  I will never forget the times I would visit.  Peace, hope, and joy filled the rooms of his home; as he awaited his betrothed to call him home.

I understand that so much more as I have been a widow nearly 24 years.  Each morning, I arise early to be alone reading the love letters of my precious Lord, my Beloved Savior.  One day, He will call me home; but, until then, like a bride awaiting her wedding day, let me rejoice in knowing Him.  He is preparing me each and every day to be His bride, transforming my heart.  So, let me ask you again, “Do you know my betrothed?”  He loves you with a perfect love and bids you to come, to know Him, and to love Him.  One day He will return to call His bride to the wedding feast.  Will you be ready? Do you know Him as your Savior?

My Betrothed

by Effie Darlene Barba

 

My betrothed hath gone to distant land

Preparing all that He has planned

Majestic Castle I am told

With streets and walls of purest Gold

And one day soon He comes for me

So I His Glorious Bride might be

What Gracious, wondrous love He’s shown

He paid the price, made me His own

 

How was it that He saw beneath

My filthy rags and did bequeath

His Crown to place upon my head

While taking all my shame instead

 

There’s nothing in this heart of mine

Could e’er deserve such love divine

I’ll never know what He did see

And yet, He did, He’s chosen me

 

He sent His counselor to prepare

My every flaw to then make fair

A righteous robe to then adorn

One day soon, one precious morn

 

My Lord, sometimes, I feel so frail

And fear my love for you will fail

Oh Love, my Love, I need you near

Your face to see, your voice to hear

 

Your letters pressed against my breast

A whispered prayer at each night’s rest

Awakened at some midnight’s hour

I feel your strength in me empower

 

Each day I live, I love you more

That on that Joy my heart doth soar

The trials, pains all fade away

While I await my wedding day

 

My betrothed hath gone to distant land

Preparing all that He has planned

Majestic Castle I am told

With streets and walls of purest Gold

And one day soon He comes for me

So I His Glorious Bride might be

What Gracious, wondrous love He’s shown

He paid the price, made me His own

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. Because there is nothing more important than this, I urge you to seek Him today.

OR ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?

If you have a prayer request email me by clicking here or comment here

JUST RELEASED

You can find this and all my books on Amazon.com, search Effie Darlene Barba or click this link to be taken there

Recently released Books Available

Abiding, Steadfast JoyABIDING, STEADFAST JOY

A labor of love, this book provides you with 3 foundations of truth from the scripture which once known will provide you with abiding, steadfast joy. Undaunted by the storms of life; your joy will overflow.

 

 

 


WHEN INJUSTICE AND VIOLENCE REIGN:
Through a study of Nahum, Habukkuk, and Zephaniah; I brought their message into our modern times. Answering the questions of “Why, God?”

Providing a foundation of faith and hope; even, as we see so much evil in the world and in our nation. With so much sorrow and despair, this book I wrote to guide you into discovering God’s Perfect Plan of love; amid this chaotic world filled with life’s storms.

You may click on the picture for more information on either of these books.

OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE

If you want to know more about other books I have written: You can read more about each one at: Book Resources.

©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 except for my own books. 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.

 

 

How to Fill the Void with Abounding, Steadfast Joy

There is only one name by which you may be saved, and that name is Jesus Christ.  This journey on earth is laden with sorrows, trials, and pains, because of sin.  A broken world filled with broken hearts.  Many will try to tell you there is no God; but, look around you.  You will see glimpses of beauty, love, and joy; all evidence of God’s Grace still reaching out to touch hearts.  Yet, so many will try to say that humans have evolved into creatures of kindness by some genetic transformation.  But look around you and deep within. You will see hearts bent on self-exaltation, pride, in search of self-fulfillment at any cost; seeking to Be, while sinking deep into nothingness. There remains within each heart a void, an emptiness that only God can fill.

From the beginning, God desired a people upon whom He could shower His love, fill with His joy, and impart His Glory.  He created us with a hunger for His Glory.  Yet, for anyone to truly see the wonder and marvel of that love; they must be free to choose.  However, from the beginning; mankind chose to worship the creation more than the creator; searching to become their own God.  Pride drives each to think so much more of themselves; as though we were more than just a speck of dust compared to the Universe.  Despite all the times, humanity has turned to spit upon the face of God, He still sent His Son to walk upon this earth, to pay the penalty for our sin laden hearts, and to raise Him from the grave victorious over sin and death; that through Him we might have a means of salvation.

An Emptiness and Void Only God Can Fill

Continue reading How to Fill the Void with Abounding, Steadfast Joy

How to Really Be Healed by God

As Jesus continued on His ministry of teaching, the crowds pressed around Him.  One man stricken with palsy had no hope of reaching Jesus through the crowds were it not for his four friends who carried him on a stretcher.  The crowd pressed so tightly to hear Jesus speak did not notice, nor would they step aside to let the men carrying their friend pass through.  Determined to reach Jesus, having heard of His power to heal, the men climbed onto the roof.  If only they could reach Jesus, their friend might be healed.  Lowering him through the roof, Jesus saw this man who was unable to walk and said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark 2:5).  Do you really want to be healed by God, through the healing provided by Jesus Christ?  What is greater; to have your body healed or to have your heart healed?

Jesus came to transform hearts, to replace the darkness with His light.  Surrounding us is a world of darkness in which the Glory of God does not shine forth.  Sorrow, pain, and tragic illness fill the world; because, the hearts of men and women are darkened by sin.  The evil effects of sin bids to snuff out the light of God’s Glory in the world and in our own hearts.  What is it to be really healed by God?  Jesus came to provide a true healing of our hearts.  To really be healed, all we must do is come to Him, seek Him, be healed by His redemptive blood shed upon the cross, and let His Glory fill us.

TO REALLY BE HEALED BY GOD

Continue reading How to Really Be Healed by God

Do You Really Trust God when His Answer is No?

“And there came a leper to him (Jesus), beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, ‘If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” (Mark 1:40).  A simple act of faith.  The leper came to Jesus fully acknowledging His power and His Sovereignty.  The leper believed fully that Jesus was able to cure him.  His question was not whether He could heal him.  The question was whether Jesus desired to.  If the answer was no, would that have changed his faith in Jesus?  There are moments in our life when we face that same question.  Do you and I really trust God when His answer is no?  What if, in His Sovereign Grace, He says no to our petition?

Faith is knowing God IS and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  What if His reward is quite different than what we believe we desire?  Does that change your faith?  Or do you still hold fast to the truth that He is Sovereign, Omnipotent, All Powerful and knows what is best for you, no matter what?  That was a question Paul also had to answer.

When His answer is no, but I AM enough

Continue reading Do You Really Trust God when His Answer is No?

The Grace in Which I Stand

Through the battles we face both from those that surround us and those within, where do we find the strength to stand?  Our only hope lies within our relationship with Jesus Christ, as we lean on Him.  He is our strength, our hope, our Savior and our King. In Him we find the Grace to Stand.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2)

THE GRACE IN WHICH I STAND

by Effie Darlene Barba

Oh, feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold?

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold?

Where is the faith to make you bold?

 

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act, He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

To follow Him in liberty

 

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace, I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

 

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

 

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So, for His work my passion warmed

There, for His work my passion warmed

 

So, in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. Because there is nothing more important than this, I urge you to seek Him today.

OR ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?

If you have a prayer request email me by clicking here or comment here

JUST RELEASED

You can find this and all my books on Amazon.com, search Effie Darlene Barba or click this link to be taken there

Recently released Books Available

Abiding, Steadfast JoyABIDING, STEADFAST JOY

A labor of love, this book provides you with 3 foundations of truth from the scripture which once known will provide you with abiding, steadfast joy. Undaunted by the storms of life; your joy will overflow.

 

 

 


WHEN INJUSTICE AND VIOLENCE REIGN:
Through a study of Nahum, Habukkuk, and Zephaniah; I brought their message into our modern times. Answering the questions of “Why, God?”

Providing a foundation of faith and hope; even, as we see so much evil in the world and in our nation. With so much sorrow and despair, this book I wrote to guide you into discovering God’s Perfect Plan of love; amid this chaotic world filled with life’s storms.

You may click on the picture for more information on either of these books.

OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE

If you want to know more about other books I have written: You can read more about each one at: Book Resources.

©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 except for my own books. 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.

Footnotes and Credits:

Photo by adrian on Unsplash

Inspiring Joy in Lifes Toughest Moments