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? →

Christian Blog

What Is The Significance Of Christ’s First Miracle?

August 24, 2015 Effie Barba

What Is The Significance Of Christ’s First Miracle? (Part 1 of 3)

John has with great detail and great care presented Christ’s deity and Christ’s Glory as he opened his gospel epistle. He has proclaimed the gospel of salvation as grace upon grace in the life of each believer. We must not forget this focus as we now turn to look at Christ’s first miracle. This first miracle is only recorded by John; however, once more he presents it with such detail that we must not rush in our reading of it. Once more we are presented with these three major points within this story.

Christ’s first miracle is when He turned water into wine at a wedding feast. We could easily miss the truths found in these passages were it not for the details presented by John. [bctt tweet=”Christ’s first miracle presents for us Christ’s Deity, Christ’s Glory & His Grace upon Grace “]to all who believe. In order to explain each of these portraits clearly, I believe that it will be necessary to divide this discussion into the three parts.

Continue reading What Is The Significance Of Christ’s First Miracle? →

Christian Poetry

Poetry Sunday: Stand Here in this Place

August 23, 2015 Effie Barba

As we walk in this pilgrimage journey of life, we must guard our hearts and minds. Our joy, our hope, and our faith is embedded in Christ. Within this world, so many things vie for our affections and fill our thoughts with desires. Yet, God is our greatest treasure.

He is our true joy. When I lay aside all else to seek Him, I find in Him all that I need. If truly I trust Him, then I will see His loving, protecting hand in ever detail of my life. When this journey is such that we walk through moments of sorrows, losses, and dark valleys that would seem to bring our hearts despair; we hear the echoing sweetness of God’s voice calling us to gaze upon Him. [bctt tweet=”Sometimes we must stand still like a baby before God with arms lifted up, our eyes fixed on Him.”] He is our Joy. He is the Love that can fill a broken heart to overflowing.

STAND HERE IN THIS PLACE

by Effie Darlene Barba

Through this journey of life

Midst it’s sorrows and strife

Came the Echoes of You

Hope arising anew

You’re my joy, my love song

In Your arms I am strong

When my life fell apart

You were there! My new start!

CHORUS

Let me stand here in this place

While I gaze upon Your face

Raising high my arms to You

While all else fades from my view

Within your arms wrapped tightly ‘round

Your whispering voice the only sound

Let this passion in me rise

‘Til it reaches to the skies

Light my heart a blazing fire

Loving You my sole desire

Help me cast all else aside

Content within your love abide

Dear God, Your child to be

For all eternity

My heart lay broken, crushed within

Burdened, chained distraught by sin

It was Your Grace that set me free

And filled my heart with joy and glee

CHORUS

Let me stand here in this place

While I gaze upon Your face

Raising high my arms to You

While all else fades from my view

Within your arms wrapped tightly ‘round

Your whispering voice the only sound

Let this passion in me rise

‘Til it reaches to the skies

Light my heart a blazing fire

Loving You my sole desire

Help me cast all else aside

Content within your love abide

Dear God, Your child to be

For all eternity

Do you have a poem you would like to share? When life seems to bring moments of despair what do you do to restore joy? click here to comment.

Also, yesterday I added the streaming music of songs I wrote; please let me know what you think–keep or turn off–those who let me know their honest opinion I will give away a copy of “A Broken and Contrite Heart.”

Photo is from stocksnap.io