The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
The Lord is a man of war;
The Lord is His name. Exodus 15:2-3 (NKJV)
Evil exists in the world and exists in the hearts of men and women. God is a God of mercy and Grace; yet, we must not forget that He is also a God of Righteousness and Justice as well. His wrath burns hot against unrighteousness, sin, injustice and evil. He provides His Mercy to all who call upon His Name and seek His face. Still evil does afflict our world. He raises up men and women who are willing to stand within the gap to protect us from the evils of this world. Men and women who sacrifice more than you or I realize. I am so privileged to be able to serve such men and women. What I have learned in caring for them is that they are each and every one a hero deserving of a medal of honor. Many were sent to fight without even the tools they needed to succeed. Often, they return and are not even given one tenth of the respect they deserve. They have seen evil first hand which cuts deep into their hearts and spirit. Often they have lost friends both in battle and at home. They suffer illness, pain, and often loss of limbs. The scars of war are real, even when not seen by our eyes. I watch and see the stoic Grace with which they stand together. I have seen their love of this country, their willingness to put everything on the line to defend her. They deserve our prayers, our love, our respect and our service to them. God Bless America and God Bless Our Men and Women who serve this country. God Bless our Veterans.
I wrote this poem last year and want to share it again today.
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers. Jeremiah 50:6-7
The children of Israel had not heeded the warnings sent by God. He had pleaded with them to repent of their sins, to cease their idolatry and to seek Him in true worship. Yet, they had continued on in their sinful, self-indulgent disregard for God. God allowed Babylon to take them captive and for 70 years they were held. Their temple destroyed and their land laid to waste. They like blind sheep had listened to false prophets and evil Kings until they had forgotten their true place of rest could only be found in God. He was the only one worthy of worship. He was the great shepherd who would protect them, guide them, and lead them to peaceful prosperity. Even after all that, God’s great mercy looked down upon a remnant of His people. Then, when the time was right; God, as He had promised, restored them to their land.
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. Psalm 33:20-22 (NKJV)
Whatever happens today and tomorrow, we know this: God is in Control. He causes nations to rise and to fall. His Sovereignty never changes. He spoke this very world into being. He breathed and all the stars were in place. He is righteous and just. He wanted to shower forth His joy, His love, and share His Glory with a people. Yet, for the creature to fully know the full magnitude of all this; they would have to be given choice. For if you do not know or see the magnificent excellence of the greatest treasure as compared to lesser treasures; how, could you ever choose that greater treasure. If you never saw the devastation of evil; how, could you know to choose righteousness or justice? Or see the beauty, grace and love of God; had you not first seen the darkness within your own heart? We tend to be drawn toward lesser beauties and counterfeit joys which draw us away from seeking the true and precious treasure of knowing God in all His beauty and excellence.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Matthew 7:15-16
America Great Again
by Effie Darlene Barba
In dark of night I heard the cries
The moans of the oppressed
Corruption rampant, woeful lies
While truth was ne’er addressed
Our leaders filled with prideful lust
Seeking power to control
Spewed lies of hate, mistrust
That pierced our very soul
BRIDGE:
With no remorse
They set their course
And cried You’re all to blame
Deplorable
Irredeemable
They tried to cause us shame
And right before their final blow
The truth we came to know
CHORUS:
Arising then I heard the sound
That rose from shore to shore
Shouts of hope that did abound
As all believed once more
We are a nation built on truth
A bond that holds us tight
The pride of which we taught our youth
It is our strength and might
Awakened now our hearts to sing
Afresh our song of love
As freedom’s bell begins to ring
Our flag waves high above
We, the people of this land
Diverse in many ways
As one unite to take a stand
Our minds and hearts ablaze
We slumbered, which was our mistake
Repentant of our sin
Together, hand in hand we’ll make
America Great Again
I find it amazing how those who hate attempt to project that hate on their opponent. Secretary Clinton tries to spin a rhetoric of division and hate. She was in her own words proudly “mentored” by Senator Robert Byrd who lead the KKK in West Virginia. Yet, she tries to project that connection on Donald Trump.
She was the one who for her own financial gain, approved the sale of Uranium to Russia; while, then trying to say Donald Trump has a connection with Russia to incite the old cold war fears within the hearts of the American people. She would prefer to risk a War with Russia rather than to be caught in her own lies; knowing full well that those who leaked emails were more likely whistle-blowers and not foreign government hackers.
I awoke this morning early to write this song of hope! A reminder that we are a nation built on truth, dignity. WE THE People of this nation are NOT irredeemable, deplorable and we must not believe the lies. Instead, we must stand strong to say: “Speak for yourself, Secretary Clinton; we are not the racist bigot–you are” We love our country, our people–ALL of them; and we are the United States of America, one nation under God, INDIVISIBLE with liberty and justice for ALL. We will not be divided by your rhetoric and lies.
[bctt tweet=”Awaken America, before it is too late-Vote Trump May God have mercy on our souls, if we do not!!” username=”effiedarlene”]
[bctt tweet=”We, the people of this land Diverse in many ways As one unite to take a stand” username=”effiedarlene”]
[tweetthis]Together hand in hand-every man woman&child will make America Great Again[/tweetthis]
If you still have doubts: watch this–all based on facts we have seen:
One thing they did not expect. They thought it would be easy to win against Mr. Trump; after all they had so much they could use against an outsider, a billionaire who had never planned his life around politics. What they did not expect was his love for America and the transformation that God would make within his heart, spirit and soul. What they did not expect was God’s plan and that in truth, it was God who chose Donald J. Trump for such a moment and such a time.
[bctt tweet=”What they did not expect: it was God who chose Donald J. Trump for such a moment and such a time.” username=”effiedarlene”]
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.
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defense is of God which saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 7:10-11
It has been hard to sleep, tossing and turning with a feeling of desperate need to pray unceasingly for this our nation. Wondering if there is something more I can do. Much like Daniel as he prayed, waiting for an answer; hoping for a sign from God. Is that a lack of faith when we feel so urged to cry out to God with our desperate cries or could it be He has called us for just that–to pray. Only God can heal this land.
Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Isaiah 43:10-12
Yes, only God can turn the tide of this great nation and only God can transform my heart. Still He will not unless I (we) are willing to turn from our idolatrous worship of self or prosperity to seek the only treasure that matters which is God Himself. God is a God of great and mighty love, mercy, and grace; but, He also is a righteous, Holy God who hates sin. His wrath against sin can be seen very clearly as the stripes ripped at the flesh of His Only Son, as He bore our sin upon that cross. When I read the Old Testament, what amazes me is God’s patience as He deals with a rebellious people. Yet, after pleading with them; still, He would enact His judgment upon His people when they continued to run after idols. After all that God had shown of His might, after Josiah’s revival and after the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar took captive the nation of Israel for their persistent rebellion against God; He still pleaded with a remnant.
