3 Barriers in the Heart of Man Preventing Genuine Faith

November 20, 2015 Effie Barba 2 Comments

As we see the public ministry of Jesus coming to its end in the book of John, Jesus withdraws to be alone. John through the inspiration of the spirit takes us back to Isaiah’s scriptures to help to guide us to what is both tragically heartbreaking and yet should point us toward our greatest source of joy. Jesus came that He might save the world; yet, to do so He had to suffer utter rejection and humiliation at the hands of those He came to save. His ultimate joy in those who would follow Him, His unwavering love, and His Glorious Grace would be realized only through the greatest travesty of disbelief by mankind’s pride filled hearts. The very people for whom He came would reject Him as their messiah. Why? What were the barriers in the Heart of Man that prevented their seeing Him, desiring Him and believing in Him as their Savior? As we look at the barriers of the crowds that had seen Jesus, perhaps we can see the barriers within our own hearts which thwart our faith.

To help us realize these truths let us first go back to the temple when Mary and Joseph first brought Jesus as a baby.

“²⁵And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.²⁷And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,²⁸Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,²⁹Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:³⁰For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,³¹Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;³²A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.³³And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.³⁴And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;³⁵(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2).

Why did I take us back here? Look closely, Simeon so accurately declared—“this child is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel”. While the hearts of some would rise in faith

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Christian Blog

How to Destroy the Cancer of Sin in Your Life

November 18, 2015 Effie Barba

How to Destroy the Cancer of Sin in Your Life

When they said that dreaded word, “Cancer”, my head began to twirl. It was hard to hear the rest of the words. The plans for surgery and chemotherapy were like a distant whisper. I was in the middle of my Master’s Program in Nursing. It was late October. The semester would end in early December. The plan was to have surgery in December. That month throughout November, I could envision this evil force eating away at the good cells. The thought of these destructive cells multiplying, growing and taking over filled my mind with disgust. These cells had been there growing for many years in silence without my being aware of their presence while all along they had been consuming all that was good within their reach.

Sin is like that. It is a poison, a sickness deep within our hearts that grows steadily throughout our lives until our heart, spirit and soul is consumed; unless, we come to recognize it and seek the cure. We can try to ignore it, hide it, and place bandages on it; but, it continues to grow unless we come to the place where we “cut it out at its core.” For that we need the surgeon. Jesus is that surgeon to cut out the source; destroying its power. He did that at the cross when He took our punishment upon Him. He willingly obeyed the Father’s command. Righteousness and Justice demanded that sin’s penalty be paid. If God could just ignore man’s rebellious heart, Satan would have won. Evil would have won and righteousness would be consumed by the cancerous cells of evil. Righteousness could only win if evil were destroyed.

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Christian Blog

Do You Really Want To See The True Jesus?

November 16, 2015 Effie Barba

Do You Really Want To See The True Jesus?

“Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:20 NKJV). That was the words of these Greek men as they approached Phillip. They wanted to see Jesus. He had just rode into Jerusalem on the young donkeys back triumphantly with the people crying out “Hosanna” which means “save us now.” Were these Greek men echoing the same cry that these followers had and that we have today? These were Gentiles seeking Jesus. They were the foreigners. They were not the children of Abraham: yet, they wanted to see Jesus. They had no doubtedly heard the stories of the Jewish Messiah coming to reign. He would bring victory and peace. He rode in on a young unbridled donkey to symbolize such peace. He had healed people, fed the crowds, and even had raised a man from the dead. Surely, He had come to bring peace, healing, and hope to a world that was filled with despair, bickering, affliction and wars. They wanted to see Jesus. Isn’t that the cry of our own hearts today? We want to see Jesus—the triumphant King who will wipe away all our tears. We want Him to heal the wounds of our heart, to bring us prosperity, to heal our families, and to heal our country. We want Him to set up His Kingdom today, this very moment to save us from all this pain, suffering, and sorrow.

Yet, are we prepared to hear Jesus’ response? “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (John 12 NKJV). What was that? Jesus said that He must die!! How is that victory? We want comfort now!! We want victory and glory today!! Yet, Jesus says that we must be willing to serve Him and follow Him even unto death so as to find life eternal. I must be willing to lay aside all my petty wants, wishes and selfish desires for pleasure so that I might gain glory in Him.

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Christian Poetry

Poetry Sunday—When Terror Strikes

November 15, 2015 Effie Barba

We are forever surrounded by the effects of a fallen world. There is fighting, anger, tension, destruction, and ever growing signs of bleak darkness that fills our news reports. Suicide bombers who give their own lives believing they are fighting against evil while at the same time becoming the face of evil and terror to a desperate world. Battle lines are drawn with man against man—yet, the enemy is the darkness within our own hearts and souls that blind us to the only truth which matters. When tragedy strikes many cry out, “Where is God?” He is right where He has always been. He is on His throne today in the midst of our tragedy, the same as He was when they hung His Beloved Son on the cross to pay for our sins. Justice, righteousness demands that each of us should die for our own evil self exalting hearts. It is Grace that steadies God hand of Mercy each and every day that this world continues to rotate in it’s orbit. Patiently, God waits for one more sinner to come to repentance. He waits for one more child to come to Him. It is His love and Grace which calls me to testify of Him. With the events of this year and this week in mind, I wrote this poem—I hope it points you to Jesus and lights a candle of hope in your heart today.

WHEN TERROR STRIKES

By Effie Darlene Barba

When terror strikes from every side

Inciting fear in every heart

When all I see is torn apart

How can I Lord in You abide?

And rest in peace upon they word

With all the hate and sorrow heard

From wretched men, so filled with pride

I need a place in which to hide

I turn and lift my eyes toward You

To search the dark, to understand

How can this be as You have planned?

When all the world seems so askew

By evil hearts so filled with sin

It’s hard to see Your love will win

When selfish hearts themselves pursue

Destruction, death and pain ensue

As I gazed there shone forth a light

And reaching forth a steady hand

That held at bay hell’s death command

With sovereign power and such might

It is Grace alone that bids you wait

While justice bids man’s final fate

That one more broken heart contrite

With blinded eyes to then find sight

Oh, Lord, please help me understand

That the same love that bore the cross

Is Your love for us when we face loss

That Grace holds firm Your Mighty hand

That every kindness we have known

Is proof Your grace for us is shown

For Justice would itself demand

That darkness, death consume our land

So, help me Lord to be a light

To spread your word where e’er I go

Your love, your hope, your joy to show

Your gospel truth to then take flight

Transforming hearts that one by one

They seek and find your precious son

That then your Glory shine so bright

Beams of Grace in the dark of night

Let us close with this Psalm from David. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ….One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.….I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27).

Photograph courtesy of Unsplash.com

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.

Christian Blog

How to Find Joy and Glory Through Journal Reflections

November 13, 2015 Effie Barba

For many years my study Bible was filled with notations in the edges, underlined passages, sermon notes and little whispered prayer requests. As a child I had been taught never to write in my Bible, never to let it fall on the floor, and never to let it get stained. I still have several Bibles, in various versions or study formats that surround me when I study. All of those but one are crisp, unmarked; yet, the one study Bible dearest to me is filled with marks, notes, and memories of God’s unfailing faithfulness to me. It is like a dear friend who has walked the paths with me. This I had learned from listening to Charles Stanley. Yet, journaling was something else. Perhaps it was the naivety of youth or the business of life; but, I had a quick and bright mind in those days and thought my own brain would serve.

Then came the cancer and the chemotherapy which wreaked havoc with my mind’s ability to recall. The chemotherapy drugs I received were very neurotoxic. In the middle of my Master’s Degree program, suddenly I was fighting to remember and to hold onto the information that I needed to graduate. I did still graduate with a 3.97 GPA; however, I had learned to rely a lot on prayer and God’s grace to be my memory for the tests. No longer did I feel the same confidence I had always had on my own scholastic abilities.

A few years later I began journaling. I have several little books packed into drawers where I had written my thoughts. These have words, thoughts, prayers, praise notes, bits of poetry, and scriptures all jumbled together. Sometimes, I go back and pick up one of these older books to read through them. They serve as a reminder of where I have been along this journey. They also show me the grace of God as He has gently guided and taught me. Sometimes I am reminded of how foolish I have been at times and how wonderfully gracious God has been by saying “No” to some of my requests along the way. Often, some of my greatest revelations of God’s Glory and Grace come from those reflections. Those moments when I can look back and realize that God’s hand was guiding every tear, every heartbreak, and every trial to bring me His greatest joy, hope, and strength.

THE IMPORTANCE OF REFLECTION

As Jesus began His final journey into Jerusalem, He asked for a young donkey to ride upon. As was the custom; whenever a King wanted to enter on a mission of peace, they rode upon a young, inexperienced beast. The crowds heard of His coming. They “ took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. ¹⁴And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,¹⁵Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.¹⁶These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him” (John 12) The disciples did not recognize the events as being fulfilling of the old testament scripture until they reflected back. They could not fully recognize the Sovereign Hand of God etching every minute detail until later as they reflected upon the events.

WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

The same has been true in my own life. When I am in the midst of the emotional moment filled with great jubilee or filled with great anguish; I cannot see the magnitude of God’s Glory and Grace. It is later that I am able to reflect back and see His Glory and His Sovereign Hand of Grace working “all things” together for my good. In John 12, we see the apostles filled with wonder, pride, and joy as Jesus enters Jerusalem. This only lasts for a brief moment before the apostles would watch Jesus die on the cross. Triumphant entrance, horrific death, and then the resurrection. None made sense at the moment; until, after it was done. Then the wonder, beauty, and Glory of it all was revealed and understood by the apostles who had witnessed it. Then the Holy Spirit guided their minds to understand how truly magnificent it all had been.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

1. In the midst of the moment you may not be able to understand why. Yet, you can be certain of this one thing—God will one day reveal to you His Glory in the midst of every circumstance.

2. Journaling is more than a reminder of where you have been. It is the proof of just how far you have come.

3. What may seem a tragedy today could be the beginning of what is a miraculous blessing for tomorrow!!

4. Prayer alongside reflection will guide you to discovering God’s Glory and Your Joy as you look back over the journals of your life. God delights in revealing to you what He has done for you all along the way.

My prayer for you and for me is “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

I encourage you to start a journal today—or more than one. Keep a Study Bible in which you can write notes in the margins—it may be stained with tears even. Still, that Bible I will guarantee can be your best friend when trials come and they will come. One day when I am no longer here, I wonder where my journals will go. Perhaps God can use them to point someone else to Himself—through even my failures, my questions, and my moments of deep sorrow—in the end He has been there through all of it.

I hope you enjoy the song I chose for you today. Through all of it by Colton Dixon

Original photograph courtesy of Unsplash.com