As we saw in Malachi at the very beginning of this series, God remained faithful to His own word.  He has remained faithful to fulfill each part of His covenant with mankind and His covenant with Israel. 

Drawing used with written permission of Ronald Barba. © 2012 Ronald Barba and is protected under copyright laws

GOD has with great patience, mercy, and grace endured the evil of this world perpetrated by the very ones He had created to bestow His love, His Joy and His Glory upon. God despises sin; yet, He has allowed and endured it that those who would believe in and follow Him might fully understand the magnitude of His righteousness, His love, the Joy of His presence, and His Glory.

We have looked at the covenant given to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Each step of the way we have seen that God has remained faithful to His covenant of redemption through faith and His faithfulness to fulfill all that He has ordained. As we read through the old Testament, we watch a nation of people wax and wane in their faithfulness; while an Almighty God holds true in His faithfulness.  All that He promised would come to pass.  The corridors of history have shown this to be true.  The redemption song came into full view with the

Continue reading God’s Covenant of Love, Grace, and Mercy (part 6)-A New Covenant for Israel →

Give Me a Faith

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

Give me a faith that works for you Lord

A Beacon through the night

That shines forth your Glory

Revealing you’re my delight

 

Give me a faith that stands firm against

The howling of the wind

When storms of life surround me

Your strength I can depend

 

Give me a faith that says I’ll follow

And chase away the fear

Because I know you love me

And you are always near

 

Give me a faith that makes me willing

To go where you may send

Standing firm within your word

Your truth I will defend.

 

Give me a faith that will rely on

The Promise in your word

To freely give my life, my wealth

Beyond the tithe I’d heard

 

Give me a faith that will rise above

This weary, lonely heart

To sing a joyous song of Praise

Your hope to all impart

 

Give me a faith that says I trust You

In all I say and do

That everyone I meet today

Might see a glimpse of You

 

Even our faith is a gift of Grace. How often in my life (and I daresay yours if you were honest) would I, like the father described in Mark 9 have to cry out that God help my unbelief to be transformed into unwavering faith?  Mark 9:”23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”  Faith is not blindly looking, never seeing the danger.  Faith is staring the dangers, perils, and sorrows straight in the face while still marching forward where God commanded, in the manner He commanded and knowing that God has a perfect plan of love in the midst of it all.  It is knowing that He provides the strength, the hope, the joy and the peace that is His Essence in the midst of the darkest valleys.  It is knowing that the greatest mountaintop experiences with God are found in those dark valleys.  It is knowing He is the greatest treasure and that each valley only draws my wayward heart closer to Him.  It is knowing the height, the depth, and the width of His Love for me so that I might rest in His arms of love as He sings His joyous lullaby of love over me. (Zephaniah 3:17)

 

© 2014 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.”

They had said they would follow all of God’s commands, they had seen the miracles, they had seen the clouds of smoke surround the Mount as Moses went up to speak with God.  As God wrote the tablets of stone and gave Moses all the parts of the law, the people became filled with fear and wondered if Moses would return.  They wanted someone to lead them and then made idols of Gold to worship and to be as their God.  We may look at them and say, “What a foolish people they were. If God had done all that in my life, I would never doubt Him.”  Don’t kid yourself.  They did not have the gift of the Holy Spirit inside them to guide them as we do.  They saw God as “a thick unapproachable cloud—as is the case under the law”.

 

 

Artwork used by written permission Ronald Barba

Can you count the number of times that you thought you had heard God’s voice you had said, “Yes, Lord.”  Then in the dark recesses of the night or when trials seem to arise, you would fall before Him defeated.

Oh, neither am I making excuses for them; but, merely saying we are so much like them.  When God sends us to a place and the command as to the next step tarries, do we not also try to fix it all with our own hands?  We turn our backs on God and we seek pleasures from this world.  We seek recognition, position, and self fulfillment.  When Moses returned, he found the people dancing around and worshipping the “golden calf” that they had made.  Were it not for grace, all would perish.   Then the question that was of utmost importance.  “Who is on the Lord’s side?” (Exodus 32:26).    So, all those who chose to follow God were saved and those who did not perished.  So let me help you distinguish here—those of us who know Christ as our Savior, may at times struggle in

Continue reading God’s Covenant of Love, Grace, and Mercy 5B—Mosaic Covenant with Israel →

We have spent quite some time looking at the covenant of God with Abraham.  That same covenant was re-iterated to Isaac (Genesis 26:3 and to Jacob (Genesis 28:13).  A careful reading of the lives of Isaac and of Jacob would once more prove that it was God who remained faithful and provided a means of redemption—the only thing that they offered was a heart bent toward following God.  Once more the only acts of righteousness found in Isaac and Jacob would be God’s righteousness poured out through them because of faith.   The years would pass and in jealousy, the sons of Jacob would sell their brother Joseph into slavery.  After years of slavery and imprisonment—his faith standing firm through trials, he was given a position of power in Egypt and became instrumental in saving his family.  Upon his deathbed, he told all his brothers and his children that God would again call them out of Egypt into the Promised Land.  Ironically, they became the slaves of the Egyptians before this would occur and Moses was called out to lead the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the Promised Land. 

photo used courtesy of istockphoto

They witnessed many miracles along this journey from the plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and the provision of manna and water.  God had shown Himself as their redeemer and their provider.  Then they came to Mt. Sinai.

Exodus 19: (AMP)

^“3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, Say this to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites: ⁴ You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine. ⁶ And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]. These

Continue reading God’s Covenant of Love, Grace, and Mercy 5A—Mosaic Covenant with Israel →

Before we conclude this discussion of God’s covenant with Abraham, we need to take a glimpse as to Abraham’s part—since a covenant is between two parties.  The full definition is that of a formal, binding agreement between two parties.  We have discussed with great detail the fact of God’s Faithfulness in completing all that He promised.  God’s promises to Abraham as outlined in Genesis had been to include 5 promises.

1.  That God would make of Abraham a great nation

2.  That God would bless Abraham both in material and spiritual blessings

3.  That God would make the name of Abraham great.

4.   That through Abraham, nations would be blessed (The Messiah would come)

5.    That God would give Abraham and his seed the Promised Land.

photo used courtesy of @Istockphoto.com

God’s covenant of Faithfulness and redemption is to those who accept Him by faith. Faith is the willingness to sign over all the details of your life, trusting that God has the perfect plan for you.  Faith is trusting God and is demonstrated by obeying Him—and leaving all the consequences to Him even when we cannot see  tomorrow’s light.

 

Certainly, if we look at history we can  see that God has performed and fulfilled His part of the contract with Abraham.  What we have failed to look at was what Abraham’s part of the contract was?  We did speak about faith, but faith is something that is demonstrated by actions as well.  Let us look at James 2: “¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”  So you might say then is it works or is it Grace?  True faith by its nature will be demonstrated

Continue reading God’s Covenant Love, Grace and Mercy (Part 4g)–Abraham’s Faith Demonstrated →