How to Be Born Of Water and Spirit

September 2, 2015 Effie Barba

It was late at night as he made his way to Jesus. The crowds had gone home to rest. He was a scholar, one of the elect of the Sanhedrin. He had spent his lifetime studying the scripture; yet, this man Jesus from Nazareth spoke as no other he had heard before. Then, there were the miracles as well. He, Nicodemus, wanted to have a moment to speak with this man who had run all the money changers and merchants from the temple; who had then taught the scripture as no other teacher had ever done. With a tone of great respectfulness as he approached he said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2 NIV).

[bctt tweet=”Then Jesus very passionately responds with the greatest truth that all needed to know. “]This was the greatest message of all. The good news of why Jesus had come to this earth to be the final sacrifice needed to cover man’s sin and to provide the only atonement that can give new spiritual life. It was the only message that could restore a full, vibrant relationship with God. “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3 NIV).

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Christian Blog

Why was Christ’s Cleansing of the Temple really important?

August 31, 2015 Effie Barba

Why was Christ’s Cleansing of the Temple really important?

The gospel account written by John detailed those events of Jesus’ life that would display His Glory, His deity, and His grace upon grace poured out for you and for me. John wanted to show you Christ in all His beauty that you might believe in Him and gain eternal life. He wanted to share with you what he had found in Christ. “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹But these are written that you may believe^[b]that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31 NIV)

So why did John choose to tell us of this cleansing of the temple at the beginning of the earthly ministry of Christ? If we read the “cleansing of the temple” accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke we will read about Christ running out the money changers upon His final trip into Jerusalem just before His arrest and crucifixion. Yet, John is telling us about Jesus running out the money changers and those selling animals in the temple courts during Christ’s first trip to the Passover at the beginning of His earthly ministry. Why is that an important detail to our seeing Christ? How does that impact our lives? Those are the questions I want to look a little further into with you.

Continue reading Why was Christ’s Cleansing of the Temple really important? →

Christian Poetry

Poetry Sunday-Come Quench This Thirst

August 30, 2015 Effie Barba

In this journey of life, we search to quench our thirst by so many things that only leave us wanting more. Christ is the fountains of living water that will fill your heart with genuine joy that cannot be taken away. His blood was poured out to wash away your sins and to clothe you in His righteousness. Such love is so much more than I could ever imagine and fills me to overflowing. Wine, the blood of the grapes, is symbolic of Christ’s blood poured out for our sins. Let us seek God as our only treasure. Only God can quench our thirsty souls.

¹“O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water” Psalm 63 (NLT).

Come Quench This Thirst

By Effie Darlene Barba

I’ve been searching for love all of my life

Someone to hold when life brings me strife

A Friend, A Companion, someone who cares

About all my dreams, my life song he shares

With Broken Heart—I cried out to You

You Came and You Loved –my heart was made new

CHORUS

You are the rivers, You are the wine

Come quench this thirst with Your love divine

Hold me so tight that I can’t let go

Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow

Give me Your Joy far beyond measure

Until I know the truth You are my treasure

I’ve been searching for dreams, success – a name

A message, a truth, something to proclaim

Surely the world should know I’ve been here

Hold my head high—the crowd would then cheer

Broken by failures, I cried out your name

You came and You loved – I’ve not been the same

CHORUS

You are the rivers, You are the wine

Come quench this thirst with Your love divine

Hold me so tight that I can’t let go

Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow

Give me Your Joy far beyond measure

Until I know the truth You are my treasure

I’ve been searching for joy in so many things

Houses and cars or big fancy rings

Chasing a dream where ever it leads

Thinking these things will fulfill my needs

Drowning in debt, I turned then to You

You came and You loved—Your Glory in view

CHORUS

You are the rivers, You are the wine

Come quench this thirst with Your love divine

Hold me so tight that I can’t let go

Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow

Give me Your Joy far beyond measure

Until I know the truth You are my treasure

I’ve been searching for You by labor of mine

If I try hard enough, surely I’ll shine

I would work so hard and make You so proud

I would stand high above the rest of the crowd

Chained in my sin, I turned then to You

You came and You loved-humbled by Grace I’m new

CHORUS

You are the rivers, You are the wine

Come quench this thirst with Your love divine

Hold me so tight that I can’t let go

Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow

Give me Your Joy far beyond measure

Until I know the truth You are my treasure

[bctt tweet=”Drink from the fountain of living water given by Christ and never thirst again!!”]

Do you have a poem or a thought you would like to share? Click here to comment.

The artist that drew the picture “A Broken and Contrite Heart” featured on my header and who designed my logo is Ronald Barba. To obtain your own portrait, logo, or art design please contact Ronald Barba at the email below. If you can dream it, he can draw or design it for you. Do you want to surprise someone with an extraordinary special gift of a personal portrait? An idea for a book cover? Or a new logo? Feel free to email him at Ron@Barba-Art.com to discuss any art projects.

New Living Translation(NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Photo from unsplash.com

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Christian Blog

Have You Seen the Wonderful Glorious Bridegroom’s Love?

August 28, 2015 Effie Barba

Have You Seen the Wonderful Glorious Bridegroom’s Love?

There is one more very important detail that we must look at before we leave John’s detailed account of the first miracle that Jesus performed during His earthly ministry. That is the All-providing nature of Jesus shown here. As I explained Monday, the bridegroom was responsible for making certain there was an ample supply of wine. Not even the master of the feast was responsible. This was the responsibility of the bridegroom. In this scene, the bridegroom had failed to provide. Jesus provided what the bridegroom did not and could not. There are several beautiful portraits of Jesus Christ that we can take from these scriptures.

JESUS IS THERE TO HELP FAILING BRIDEGROOMS

[bctt tweet=”Jesus stepped into the scene & with purifying water provided what the bridegroom could not.”] Do you ever feel that as a husband you have failed? Christ is there to help you. He is the only one who can fill your heart with self-less love for your wife. He can guide your every step. Scripture commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, being willing to die for the church. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ²⁶That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself” (Ephesians 5).

Continue reading Have You Seen the Wonderful Glorious Bridegroom’s Love? →

Christian Blog

How did Christ’s First Miracle Portray Grace to the World?

August 26, 2015 Effie Barba

How did Christ’s First Miracle Portray Grace to the World?

Christ had gathered his apostles and a group of disciples were beginning to follow as well by the time that He performed His first miracle at the wedding feast. This was the beginning of many miracles to come. He had already shown with his conversation with Nathanael His omniscience to know a man’s heart and to be acutely aware of every circumstance in the life of each person. I see that as pretty miraculous in itself; yet, John reports that as part of the glorious nature of who Jesus is in all His Glory. Then John goes on to report the first miracle of Jesus. Here Jesus is about to perform His first miracle by changing water into wine. How does that display His Glory? John’s epistle is the only gospel that even records it. Yet, John says, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him” (John 2: 11).

How did changing water into wine, display Christ’s glory and caused the disciples to believe in Him? John’s gospel as I pointed out in the previous blogs, presents Christ as God in all His Glory. Christ, though the only begotten son of God, came to earth to pour out grace upon grace to mankind. Grace that rebellious, self-exalting hearts such as ours could never deserve. Caught within our web of self-deceit, we could never even desire God if He did not reveal Himself to us. Christ would gather the crowds, display His Glory through miracles, speak the truth and still would be rejected by the masses.

Continue reading How did Christ’s First Miracle Portray Grace to the World? →