Effie Darlene Barba

^{Psalm 139: 23} Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

How many of us would want to ask God to search every crevice of our heart and thoughts to see if there is any wickedness lurking there?  What about when that other car cut you off this morning? Or when you chose to buy a new TV, instead of giving to the church as God prompted you to do?  Or when you rushed out the front door without so much as saying "Good morning" to God?  Or when you grumbled about the financial state that the government is in; never acknowledging that God is still on His Throne?  Was this a moment of pride by David? Or not.  Look at the rest of Psalm 139: 

1.O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

² Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

³ Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

⁵ Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

¹² Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Ah, this was a David who knew that God already knew every crevice of his heart and every area of darkness that lurked there and had loved David even in the imperfection that he was.  He knew that God already had chosen him inspite of his sin and had formed him, loved him, and never left his side.  This was David asking God to search him, transform him and to remove every form of wickedness so that God might lead him ever forward into God’s righteousness.  This was David asking that God search and remove every piece of chaff, every evil desire or action that would bring shame to God’s Glorious Name. 

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

Isaiah 25: 1  O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Deuteronomy 7:⁹ Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;¹⁰ And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

Hebrews 10:²⁹ Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

³⁰ For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

I Corinthians 1: 7 waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

⁸ Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹ God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Timothy 2: ¹² If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

¹³ If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

God is faithful and true.  He maintains His covenant of mercy and grace to all who come to Him in love accepting the gift of salvation purchased through the death of His son.  For those who come to Him, believing that Christ is the Son of God who bore the penalty for sin so that unworthy mankind might be restored into a relationship with God; He is faithful to show Mercy and Grace that provides salvation today with ongoing, overflowing future grace that never lets go throughout the remainder of your lifetime.  He will confirm you to the end and His promise is to present you blameless on the final day of judgment.  His work of faithfulness to transform you, step by step into the likeness of His son will never fail.  Covered by Christ’s Righteousness and full payment of your sins; you stand forgiven before a Righteous God.  Yet, there is another point here.  God is faithful and true.  Those who refuse and deny Christ, who believe that they can come before God by any other means trample the name of Christ.  Those who call Christ a mere prophet have trodden upon the name of Christ, denying the power of Christ’s blood bought atonement; and thus reproach the Spirit of Grace provided and will stand in judgment.  If we believe not the name of Jesus, God can never deny His own Righteousness and His Demand for Justice; and the full fury and wrath of an Almighty God will be poured out upon those who deny the Gift of Salvation offered them by Christ’s sacrifice.  So, my question to you is: "Where do you stand with God?"  Have you come to Him, acknowledging your own unworthiness; believing that Jesus Christ is the Son who pay the penalty for your sin?  Do you see God’s Glory and Righteousness as something you so desire that you would lay aside all to follow Him? Do you see God as worthy of your praise, even if He gave you nothing in return?  Then, stop everything that you are doing to get on your knees now, this moment and ask Christ into your heart. 

Then, sing this song.  For Jesus Paid it All:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NntEuGCsWwM

 

Ephesians 1: ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

⁸ Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹ Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

He knew me from before I was ever born.  Before creation, God knew me.  He knew every-time I would fail Him, every time I would doubt Him and still chose me to be His adopted Child.  He, according to the good pleasure of His will, predestined me to be His Child–to make me holy and without blame before Him in love by covering me with the sacrificial blood of Christ.  He then blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places with Christ.  This is the hope we who believe can hold tightly to when we are filled with self doubt and feel overwhelmed with our failures.  Christ carried out guilt and fears with Him to the cross in addition to our sins.  When we wallow in our own unworthiness, we open the door to sin having power over our lives.  It is always important that we take our focus off of ourselves and place that focus on the only one who has the power of victory over sin—Jesus Christ.  He is the one who can work through us when we Abide in Him, thus bringing the praise of His Glory. He reminds us that we are cleansed by the word.  Our salvation did not come from our struggling to become more.  We were not able to work our way into the vine of our own doing.  We had to be grafted into the vine by God.  It was not our labor that paid the price for our salvation.  We are cleansed by the Word, that Word being Christ Himself.  John 1: “¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ..¹²But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”   My Salvation, my justification did not come of my own works; so, how is it that I now want to produce fruit from my own works.   In order to rest in and abide in His Salvation, I must remember this.  The only part in my Salvation that came from me was my faith to believe that He is God who is worthy of all my praise and to be Glorified for all eternity.  Even that I could not have done had God not removed the veils from my eyes that I might glimpse at His Glory and desire it, seek it, cherish it as a treasure above all other treasures.

  William Cowper was a missionary preacher to the Indians who frequently fell into depression because he felt that he was so unworthy of God’s Grace.  Then one day he was reading Romans 3: "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."

William Cowper wrote to describe that moment as follows: "

Immediately I received the strength to believe it, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement He had made, my pardon sealed in His blood, and all the fullness and completeness of His justification. In a moment I believed, and received the gospel . . . Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy. My eyes filled with tears, and my voice choked with transport; I could only look up to heaven in silent fear, overwhelmed with love and wonder. (Gilbert Thomas, William Cowper and the Eighteenth Century, p. 132)"

So those of you who do not know Christ as your Savior?  Do you long to know Him?  Is there a small little voice or a clamoring noise calling you to Him?  Do you see God as desirable; but you want to clean up your life first?  I urge you to respond to that voice and come today, just as you are.  Don’t wait another day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRgjQwhm9WM

Hebrews 13: ¹² Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

¹³ Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

¹⁴ For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Sometimes we are asked to step outside of our comfort zone to speak for Christ.  This is certainly the case for missionaries in many of the countries where preaching the gospel can mean death.  I must commend Leading the Way ministries for their work in the middle east.  I have been invited for an interview on a Christian TV Station, which is a tremendous opportunity. As I looked over the introductory questionnaire and contemplated, I became gripped with fear.  My own failures over the years began to come to mind and guilt covered my view of Christ.  I suddenly feared rejection and felt so unworthy to speak for Christ.  I prayed earnestly and then yesterday morning as I listened to Charles Stanley preach regarding fear—my answer came.  My focus suddenly shifted from me and turned upon Christ.  He who bore my guilt, my shame and my sin on the cross.  He upholds me in his right hand of righteousness–not my righteousness–His.   God is able to accomplish His work through me and to speak through me as long as I keep my focus on Him.  Look at verse 10 below and let that become your battle cry in any moment of fear. 

Isaiah 41: ⁹ Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

¹⁰ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

¹¹ Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

I then via podcast joined my son at Church in Missouri and heard an incredible sermon as to how God sees things upside down from how the world sees them, that the poor in Christ are rich because of their relationship with Him.  Then they sang this song "All I have is Christ".  I encourage you to watch this video to the song–such a powerful song and such a powerful illustration.  I do not know how God will use the interview; but I do know that my greatest desire is to bring Him Glory.  So I will take my eyes off of me and place them on Him.  As I die to self and let Him use this ransomed life–focused on Him; He will speak through me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3lwsOPEpMw

 

Ephesians 6: ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

¹⁹ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Note the only offensive weapon we need is the Word of God.  So study and pray always. 

Little Soldier

Little Soldier are you ready?

The battle cry is here

Little Soldier are you wearing

All your God given gear

Did you put on your helmet?

Remembering what He’s done

He provided your salvation

When He gave His only Son

Did you strap on your breastplate?

Is your passion now on Him?

To follow in His footsteps

And shun all willful sin

Did you strap on the waist band?

Holding tight to all God said

And never compromising

So by His truth you are lead

Did you cover yourself completely

By the shield of faith in God

This Sovereign, Omniscient, Shepherd

We are protected by His rod.

So where are we going

To spread the gospel song?

Feet now shod with love and peace

We walk as we belong

So say a prayer, and off we go

To far and distant lands

To spread His gospel to a world

Is all that He demands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FgS_RYG-ko