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When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll

August 7, 2013 Effie Barba

There are sorrows that come into our lives that we don’t understand. There are prayers which God in His Wisdom does not answer in the manner we have asked; yet, we know that He does hear our cries and in the center of what we may see as inconceivable sorrow–His plan is one of love. Lindsey, I love you and my prayers for God’s comforting arms to embrace you and your family are constant through this.

Psalm 34: (NASB) 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are [d]crushed in spirit.

Following a long period of sorrow, one day these words began to flow from my pen and I hope you find in them the comfort you need.

T o GOD-MY LOVE, MY HOPE, MY JOY

My life-so filled with hopes and dreams

Lay shattered at Your feet

So many tears, so many pains

I’d laid before Thy seat

Can I look upon Your face of love

And question what You’ve done?

For You have been my only hope

My only morning sun

You’ve seen my heart when crushed with pain

Your hands have held it tight

When I have been so weak, so frail

You’ve shown Your strength, Your might

You’ve held me close within Your arms

When darkness filled my night

And when I could not see my way

Your eyes, they gave me sight

I lay my life within Your hands

That You may heal my soul

And keep my eyes upon You Lord

That I may reach Your goal

Shine forth Thy grace, Thy mercy Lord

And let me be Thy light

That all may see Your eyes of love

The blind, they might have sight

Let not the sorrows, nor the pains

Bring bitterness within

And give me strength to walk this path

Protect my heart from sin

I lay my heart, my soul, my dreams

Before Thy throne of love

I lift my eyes to You, My God

And seek Your will above

Thou art the only one I need

To fill my heart with glee

It is Your face, my one true love

Tis all I need to see

So lift me up and hold me close

Reveal Thy love divine

That through the holes within my heart

A world might see You shine

And if the sorrows of my past

Can touch a wayward one

I thank you Lord for each dark path

That lead them to Your son

I praise You now from mountains high

For each dark path I’ve trod

Twas there I found Your heart, Your love

Twas there I found You God

What great and wondrous joy I know

Because You are my king

And though the path I cannot see

My heart will trust and sing

A song of praise unto You Lord

Who knows what’s best for me

You’ll hold my hand and lead me on

In darkness, I can see

Your love, Your help, Your guiding hand

Is all I’ll ever need

So hold me close unto Your path

For this is all I plead

I’ll skip with joy along this path

Though darkness may surround

Because I know You hold my hand

My feet will e’er touch ground

I cannot fall outside Your love

I cannot lose my way

I’ll hold my broken dreams once more

And see them real, one day

A song of praise unto You Lord

Who knows what’s best for me

You’ll hold my hand and lead me on

In darkness, I can see

Your love, Your help, Your guiding hand

Is all I’ll ever need

So hold me close unto Your path

For this is all I plead

When held tightly within the arms of God, you can truly feel that “All is well with your Soul” and find peace through what might seem a great tragedy. This knowledge was what allowed Horatio Gates Spafford to write the hymn “It is Well with my Soul.” He was a lawyer from Chicago who had planned a vacation with his family across the Atlantic to provide his family with comfort and hope following the tragedy that they had just endured. He had been financially ruined by the Great Chicago Fire in October, 1871. He sent his wife and four little girls, Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and baby Tanetta ahead and planned to join them that they might forget the loss that had just occurred in their lives and thus bring solace to his family. The ship, that his precious family was on, collided with another ship. His wife alone survived and sent him the telegram of the tragic news that his four daughters had drowned. He boarded another ship to join his wife as soon as possible. As his own ship crossed the Atlantic, it paused over the spot where his children had died and there he penned these famous words.

It Is Well With My Soul

by Horatio Gates Spafford

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain: It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul

This song and the peace it proclaims in the midst of great sorrow could not have come from anyone except God through the Holy Spirit as He comforted this man. He was able to see the magnitude of God’s love for him and could thereby see these tragedies through God’s eyes. This is true peace, true joy, and true success. How many people have heard or sung this song and been comforted. A simple man filled with an unexplainable peace in the midst of tragedy will be remembered forever and continue to comfort many a broken heart because he was illumined by the Spirit to understood God’s love. There is no other way to find that kind of peace or joy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSXzDiGpYZ8 (Preview)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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If You Could Have Your Heart’s Greatest Desire What Would It Be?

August 6, 2013 Effie Barba

Have you ever sat in envy as you watched while it seemed that the ones who prospered were those who did not love God while you struggled through life’s trials? It seemed that those who even defiled His Holy name prospered with great wealth while you worshiped God with all your heart and prosperity was never yours–indeed all your work for the Lord, all your giving, all your sacrifice seemed unnoticed by God and man? You were grateful for what you did have; yet, you wondered when will the struggles cease and why did the evil seem to proper so. Your faith was shaken and a tiny seed of doubt entered your mind as you struggled within to continue your work for the Lord. That was true of Asaph. He was a singer of the tribe of Levi. He was appointed to stand before the Ark of the Covenant to praise God all the day long and to sound the cymbals of brass as the Ark was brought and placed in the Tent that King David had pitched to house the Ark. King David had handed his psalms of praise to Asaph who had been appointed chief singer. I am uncertain as to the timing when Asaph had written Psalm 73. Was it before or after this appointment? It is a Psalm that urges each of us as believers to test our own relationship with God. What is that we seek? If you read through verses 2 through 16 you will see the agony of a man questioning his own faith as he looked around him and saw that the wicked seemed to prosper while he "14 For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning". His question had come, was all His faith and sacrifice worth anything? Look at verse 13, "Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency" Have you ever been there dear friend? The problem for Asaph and for us is a matter of the heart and wherein lies our focus. As Asaph pondered and even as in verse 2 he cries, "my feet were almost gone and my feet had well nigh slipped" Yet in that moment, then suddenly he came into the sanctuary of God where God’s truth was revealed to him. Suddenly, his foolish eyes were opened to the Glory of God and that is when he proclaimed,

Psalm 73: 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

Miraculously, everything changed and he suddenly realized that God was his greatest treasure and even more the only treasure worth seeking. All this stuff that he had perceived the wicked had was rubbish, counterfeit treasure compared to what he had which was a relationship with God Almighty. Counterfeit joy and counterfeit treasure were only that–counterfeit and could not fill the heart with peace, hope and joy. In fact, often they lead to despair in this life and certainly they lead to utter darkness in eternity as those who comfort themselves in these earthly pleasures fail to seek God as their treasure. Perhaps the poorest of all are those who cannot see their need of God because of all they have here on earth. Let us look at the declarations that Asaph ultimately recognized and clung to with all his heart.

Declaration #1: "Whom have I in heaven but thee?" When you think of heaven, what is your first thought? Do you merely see it as an escape from hell? Do you follow after Christianity merely to escape from hell? Or do you see it as a place to finally be free from pain and suffering here? Perhaps you see as a means of seeing loved ones who have gone before or for the "streets paved with gold". If these are your reasons for joining a church and attending, then I wonder if you really know Christ. If you do not realize that the greatest treasure of heaven is to see His Glorious face and to fall before Him in love and gratitude; then, do you know Him? Do you seek Him?

Declaration #2: "there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee". What is your hearts greatest desire? Is it money, position, love, happiness, release from suffering, or is it an intimate relationship with God? I daresay that in the jail ministry as the women continuously came with their only request being, "God get me out of here!!" My question to them was, "If God gave you nothing in return for your worshiping Him and if there was no heaven or hell, would you worship Him anyway because of who He is? Would you see Him so Gloriously worthy of your praise that you would bow before Him in loving adoration even if He gave you nothing in return but a moment in His presence? If your answer is no, then my fear is you don’t know Him. If your answer is yes then trust Him for grace to face today and future grace to carry you safely into His loving arms one day. Accept His gift of salvation and all the covenant promises He has provided for His children, call upon His name and let Him be the greatest that you could ever know."

Following these two declarations, Asaph was then able to sing, " My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

What is your heart’s desire?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gaT4q9eJ1U

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Compassion for the Lost—Being an Effective Witness for Christ

August 5, 2013 Effie Barba

If God is the light of the world and the only hope, then why do we Christians hide that light under a bushel as we go about our day? Is there anyone that you met today that you have told about Christ? Are you spending your day with a soft prayer to Christ going out so that you remain sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to speak? What do you need to do to become an effective witness for Christ?

Psalm 119: 130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.

132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

134 Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.

135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.

136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

137 Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.

138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.

Look at what the Psalmist said, "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes". When was the last time that you looked around you at the sin in the world and cried for the lost? I must confess that it is very easy to become hardened and not care. Oh, we may pray halfheartedly for our nation; but do we care enough to become a witness ourselves? If we do witness, are we doing it with empathy and compassion or are we mechanically going through the steps to hear the clamor of our own voices? What are the necessary elements to becoming a witness for Christ?

Element #1: Study the Word of God. If the light that shines out of darkness to change men’s hearts is the word of the Lord, then you need to know His word. (2 Corinthians 4:6; John 1:1-4;

Element #2: Constant Prayer. This includes not only that quiet time of prayer alone with God that you are asking for His heart for the lost world; but also that continuous open line of communication that you have throughout the day. Our minds are continuously going, caught in a whirlwind of thoughts–is it not reasonable that we remember God is with us with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us? When I remember this, I can remain in constant prayer while going about my day. Well, you might say some of my thoughts I don’t want to share with God (as though He didn’t hear them anyway) God is walking beside us and hears our every thought, the difference known when we recognize this and allow our thoughts to become like a conversation with our best friend–then we become open to the Holy Spirit’s prompting us as to when to speak and when to remain silent. I have found this to be true. On those days that I give God the silent treatment, I can’t hear His voice and my day becomes filled with frustrations.

Element #3: Willingness to be a Servant. Are you willing to be a servant for Christ? Are you willing to be criticized by others for your testimony? Are you willing to lose everything to gain Christ? Is Christ your greatest treasure? (Romans 10:14; Galatians 1:10; Ephesians 6:6)

Element #4: Compassion for the lost. The Bible refers to God’s compassion for mankind throughout the word of God; indeed, were it not for His compassion—I, too would be condemned to eternity without Him–the only true source of Joy, Love, and Hope. Psalm 78: "37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again." Once we have experienced His compassion, how is it that we so quickly become smug in our own salvation and look down at those who are lost or who are different? My children would tell you that I have only been protected by God’s gracious hand when I have taken in some to help or have walked down the worst streets of Orlando to rescue another soul I was trying to help; yet, I do not suggest you do the same without going back to Element #2 and being certain it is God’s Voice directing you. Those moments when it was me only going forth to do God’s work and not waiting for Him– ended in disappointment–so I have learned the importance of prayer and doing things on His timing, His way and never running ahead of Him. Don’t try to cross the river until He builds the bridge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCwn7cV4AD0 (Preview)

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His Robes for Mine (What Great Exchange) God’s Gift of Love

August 4, 2013 Effie Barba

When God created man in His image (body, soul, and spirit), He did so in order to share His love, His Joy, and His Glory–because He had such overflowing love and joy that He desired to lavish it upon someone who could experience and feel the intensity of wonder, greatness and envision His Glory. Were mankind a mere robot, devoid of choice and devoid of a full range of emotion; then, he would be incapable of feeling ecstasy. In that same light, if I never knew what sorrow was or loneliness could I understand joy? If I never felt the empty void within my heart that only God could feel would I ever understand or know the peace and comfort found in my relationship with Him? Adam had never known a day without God’s presence until the day Adam’s love for Eve lured him to disobey God. Eve had been tempted, she wanted to become equal with God. Sin is often man putting himself in God’s place. Adam remembered what God had said; yet, Adam loved Eve more than he loved God at that moment and was willing to face whatever punishment for disobedience with her. Still, that very act which separated them from God (they died spiritually) resulted in their loss of joy and love which then resulted in their own discord between each other. Thus began their first argument as they began their blame game of accusations. Without God indwelling spirit, Adam’s love for Eve was then changed to disgust and disdain as he blamed her for his own sin. Ever since then, man has still tried to say or prove that he can reach God-likeness on his own. Sometimes in defiance saying, "I don’t need you God; look at what I can do on my own" or "Look at how good I am, wouldn’t you want me in your kingdom." Either one of these statements out of covetous, self exalting hearts fail to see the glory and righteousness which is truly God. Because mankind continuously wanted to prove his own worthiness of heaven (though he is no more than a speck of sand in the magnificent universe created by God); God gave the law which merely proved man’s inability to perform and served as a means to help man recognize and acknowledge his sin. Sometimes that sin being one of commission and at times a sin of omission (failure to do what is required of us). The law could never save anyone because no man of his own actions and thoughts could perform the perfect law both with action and with heart. God knew this and even before Adam sinned God had a plan for man’s salvation. The only righteousness that counts with God is that which comes from God because only God is perfect righteousness; yet, perfect righteousness requires perfect justice. God’s love was so great, His desire to lavish His joy and love on all who would accept His gift by faith resulted in His paying the price through the sacrifice of Christ’s death on the cross so that He could accept the blood of His own son (the body of the trinity–while the Father is the soul and the Holy Spirit the Spirit). Thus he created the great exchange; He takes all my sin and gives me His righteousness. So if sin is man putting himself in God’s place, Salvation came as God took our place, our penalty, our suffering and our pain. His desire is to lavish upon us His love, His joy and His glory–that we might understand the overwhelming ecstasy of what a relationship with Him means. We can only do that by having our eyes opened to see a glimpse of His Glory that we might desire it. Now, read the following verses slowly, carefully grasping the truth of His word.

Romans 3: 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

With such great love demonstrated, how can I desire anything more than I desire Him? How can I love anyone more than I love God? Each day I fall on my knees, for His Grace still amazes me and His love is still a mystery. Every day I fall deeper in love with Him?

Do you know Him? Have you ever come to Christ to say, I am a sinner with a deep void in my heart. I know that I am unworthy of you; but I believe your word which says that if I confess my sins and trust in your propitiation for my sin; you will save me. I believe that you are the creator of the universe and I believe that Christ died for my sins and I long to have a vibrant relationship with you; so I hand you my sins, my covetous heart, my selfish desires and I believe as your word says that you will come into my heart to dwell with me. Thank you. In Jesus name I pray and all my hope stands, Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNJGhq8PPRs (Preview)