Power-filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 10B-What does it mean to be an heir of God?

As we have looked at the true positions of who we are in Christ; we have learned that we are His redeemed. We are declared saints. We are His Beloved, Blessed Children and as such we are heirs of the Kingdom. Does that mean that whatever financially I want is mine? Or is that a part of the prosperity idea that whatever I name becomes mine? What does being an heir to the kingdom have to do with earthly possessions? We need to go back to scripture to learn what it means to say that in Christ we are heirs of the kingdom of God and joint heirs with Christ.

Ephesians 1 ¹³ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

We see here that when we accept Christ as our Savior, in Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit which is the earnest (the down payment, the security deposit of our inheritance until the full redemption of both body and soul occur. Therefore, part of the inheritance is that we will one day be perfectly righteous; until that day we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness.

This speaks about the inheritance in our future; but, what about now?

photo

courtesy of Sarah Barba whose photos can be found on fineart america 

God has promised to be our provider of all that we need. He knows what we need which may be different than what we want. Because He is our provider we should not be worried about our provisions.

Galatians 3 says”²⁸  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.²⁹ And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” In Christ we are recipients of all

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Power-filled Positive Thinking-Chapter 10A Heir of the Kingdom-When God takes it all that we might find Greater Treasure

It was late December, 1994 when I left Mexico to travel to Missouri to join my sons for Christmas. Pete had died in late July which had begun my incessant journeys from central Mexico to Missouri. I had taken Ronald and Alberto ahead to Missouri to stay with mom so they could start school on time. Yet, I had so much to finish in Mexico; from legally securing the land they had inherited from their father, selling our possessions, and moving our personal possessions back to Missouri. I had traveled these roads through Mexico as a widowed female alone driving a van and pulling a trailer back and forth. I would spend one month in Missouri and one month in Mexico. Mom wasn’t emotionally handling things very well and I knew the boys needed me there as much as I could be. I just needed all the legal stuff in Mexico to end so I could stay with my sons. On this trip in late December, I flew to Laredo because in storage there was Pete’s Porsche Carrera IV which he had loved. When I pulled out the car, it needed new tires and some work on the ignition so there I awaited the repairs. I tried to get insurance; however, I had no Texas address and no one would sell me insurance on such an expensive car. I found out that Pete had let the insurance lapse over a year prior to his death, making it impossible for me to obtain insurance. I had to go on ahead and hope to get the insurance once I arrived in Missouri. It was late on December 22 and 2000 dollars later, when I finally pulled out of Laredo heading north.

original photos courtesy of Gregory Adams and Cheryl Delashmit

As I neared Austin, I felt a sense of dread and fear which I tried to shake off. Something kept telling me to stop for the night. My gas tank was low and I felt a sense of panic that something bad could happen if I stopped for gas that late alone with this expensive car.  I had driven back and forth through Mexico alone without fear and now I was terrified. I whispered a prayer as I pulled into the Doubletree Hotel.

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Power filled positive thinking chapter 9-The Price God Paid to Be My Daddy Provides Me These 5 Blessed Traits

God demonstrated His love for me with such compassion and grace, why do I sometimes fear love? Why is it hard to constantly keep loving and providing for an elderly mother who has always been judgmental, trapped in her own world of negativism? It is so easy to love my children, their families, and my grandbabies. It is so easy to show love and compassion to my patients at work. It is so easy for me to even do random acts of kindness to strangers.

original photo courtesy of Lindsey Wood Barba

It is a matter of the heart, you see; and, that is where mine needs to grow just a little bit bigger. The only way for that to happen is to keep my eyes focused on my heavenly Father and remind myself that in Christ, God is my Daddy. The one I can fall before unashamed with my tears, my failures, and my fears. I can lay all else aside and trust His love for me to make it all better. He will and He will fill my heart with so much of His love that my heart will grow too. That is what He has promised.

Love is to lay your heart wide open, vulnerable and at any moment knowing that it can be crushed into pieces, by injury by sorrows, by rejection. Yet, I choose to love, knowing that I am vulnerable. Never to love causes a withering drying of the spirit and bones which is a form of death and hell itself. We were made in the image of God. God is perfect love and as my heavenly Father He chose to love me with the same powerful love that He loved His son. He did that even knowing that over and over again I would break His heart. Knowing that he would have to face the broken heartedness of watching His son die on the cross in order to save me and make me His child. This is perfect love that chose to suffer the

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I wrote this poem in 2009.  I remember well our storm cellar.  the door wasn’t too secure.  I remember my father lifting me gentle from my bed wrapped in a blanket as he carried me to the storm cellar and went back for my brother.  Mom would go into the cellar.  Then my father would sit down on the lower step and with all his massive strength he would hold tight the door of the cellar.  As the lightning would flash I would see the shadow of his body there.  I knew I was safe and I would doze back off to sleep.  My journey here on earth has brought many storms; yet, my heavenly Father carries me to safety and holds the door shut until the storm passes.   I have been so blessed, so protected and so loved.  My earthly Father went on ahead to be with my heavenly Father; yet, I will never forget all that he taught me.

Safe Throughout the Storm

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

The storm was raging in the night

Our house in certain peril

The lightening flash, the only light

To break the darkest hour

 

The thunder roar enlarged the fear

The pelting rain and hail

Twas certain now, tornado near

No where were we to run

 

I felt the arms that held me tight

They carried me to shelter

I felt the strength, the love, the might

My father’s arms could give me

 

His shadow there, the door secure

Though raging winds pulled hard

He did not budge, His mission pure

To keep his children safe

Chorus:

There is safety in his arms

Those arms that hold me tight

So filled with love, so free from harms

It is his love, his gracious love

That keeps me safe throughout the storm

 

The storm was raging in my life

And darkness filled my heart

My hope was gone, my world was strife

Nowhere to run, depart

 

I had no strength to stand against

This whirlwind spiraling down

This heart of mine ripped ‘way each fence

I knew I neared to drown

 

And then I felt the arms of love

En wrap me with His self

I could not feel the winds above

While sheltered in His arms

 

To think that God would love me so

To cry with me each tear

From there His throne to reach below

And hold me oh so dear

Chorus:

There is safety in His arms

Those arms that hold me tight

So filled with love, so free from harms

It is His love, his gracious love

That keeps me safe throughout the storm

© 2009 Effie Darlene Barba

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any 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 regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Power filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 9B—A Father’s Love Song to You

Have you considered how significant the truth that in Christ you are a child of God is? We wander through this journey with worries, trials, pains, and sorrows never stopping to ponder the truth of God’s love for us. He is a Father that loves us more than we could ever imagine. He gave everything that we might be adopted into His family. Despite His knowing all of my life, He chose me to be His child, to protect me, to provide for me, to comfort me, and to be always present with open arms to welcome me into His presence, even during those times when I have shunned Him or ignored Him.

He knew me and loved me before I was ever born. He knew every time I would doubt him, every fear, and every tear; yet, He chose me to call me His child. Because of that I am a Princess. My Father is the King of all the Galaxies—the Creator of the Universe; yet, He is ever present with me.

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