Effie Darlene Barba

I John 1: 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

² (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

³ That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

⁴ And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

⁵ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

John writes with a plea to all who would listen.  He begins with the acknowledgement that He has seen, looked upon and touched the very Word of God as he walked with Christ.  He reminds us that Christ was there during creation and continues there through eternity to come. He had seen Him, touched Him, and had the urgency to share it so that your joy may be full.  He pleads with mankind regarding their relationship to the family of God.  He does not refer to a joy founded on earthly possessions for he had none.  He had been tortured and exiled.  By the time he wrote this letter, he was an old man living in Ephesus.  The other apostles had already been killed for their faith; still, he writes "and these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full".  This is a joy that triumphs over our worldly trials and tribulations.  It is a joy that would give strength to stand even if it cost us everything.  God is light and by thus reaches into the darkness which fills our heart so that we might see our sin nature and to see our own individual sins.  When that light shines into our hearts we realize our utter unworthiness and cling to the only hope of salvation, the only means by which we can become the children of God and share in His great treasures of Joy, Hope, Peace, and His Love.  How can we ever choose to remain in darkness, having seen His light?  Why would we desire to hold onto our own dark sins and grieve the Holy Spirit once the light has shown them so clearly to us?  Wouldn’t we (having tasted His Joy) fight against our very sin nature so as to hold tight to that relationship with our Father and not feel the sorrow of dishonoring His name by our actions and deeds? Yet, even then, when the light shows us of our sin, we have only to confess with repentant heart and "he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"

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

Here I am to Worship

by Tim Hughes

Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness

Opened my eyes, let me see

Beauty that made this heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

Here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You’re my God

You’re altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days, oh so highly exalted

Glorious in heaven above

Humbly You came to the earth You created

All for love’s sake became poor

And I’ll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

Exodus 3: ¹³ And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

¹⁴ And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.

Isaiah 40:  ²⁸ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹ He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 48: ⁹ For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

¹⁰ Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

¹¹ For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

¹² Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

¹³ Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

I fear that one of the greatest problems with religion is our lack of awe by who God is.  The great I am (Yahweh),  who spoke the galaxies into being; deserves our greatest awe.  We do not see the greatness of His Majesty and Glory.  In such we do not see how insignificant we really are.  Yet, God chose to pay the supreme price of His son dying on the cross so as to provide a way that my insignificant, degenerate heart might be able to fellowship with Him.  He did all of what He has done so that He might share His love, His joy, and His righteousness with me.

He has been working to transform me into a precious jewel of beauty (though at times a difficult task)  and continues to refine me.  The price had to be paid for Him to remain perfect righteousness and perfect justice; yet, He chose to pay that price Himself.  As Christians do we really stand in awe of Him as we should?  Do we really seek Him and desire to display Him as the most precious treasure that we might have?  Do we display Him to the world around us as the greatest treasure? or do we blaspheme Him by ignoring Him, putting Him as secondary to all these counterfeit treasures that we uphold as important on this earth? I pray that I might see enough of His Glory on this earth, that I might worship Him as my Greatest Treasure; so that I not be among the religious who give reason for others to not believe.  Instead, I want to live my life in wonder of His Majesty such that others might also want to seek Him.  He is my Joy, My Being, My Savior, and My friend. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-HIKxnSZSA&feature=related

^{2 Corinthians 13: 14} The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Below are the words of a song written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty and sung by Kristyn Getty.  Let these words be your prayer today.  Read them and then close your eyes while you hear the music.

Holy Spirit, living breath of God,

Breathe new life into my willing soul.

Bring the presence of the risen Lord

To renew my heart and make me whole.

Cause Your Word to come alive in me;

Give me faith for what I cannot see.

Give me passion for Your purity;

Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within,

May Your joy be seen in all I do;

Love enough to cover every sin

In each thought and deed and attitude.

Kindness to the greatest and the least;

Gentleness that sows the path of peace.

Turn my striving into works of grace;

Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,

Giving life to all that God has made.

Show your power once again on earth,

Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.

Let the fragrance of our prayers arise;

Lead us on the road of sacrifice.

That in unity the face of Christ

May be clear for all the world to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8FKZIz97AU&list=UU2kwFwxgMvSdlbu8Scg6m-w&index=1&feature=plcp

I Corinthians 10 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

² And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

³ And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

⁴ And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

⁵ But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

⁷ Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

⁸ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

⁹ Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

¹⁰ Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

¹¹ Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

¹² Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

²¹ Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

²² Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

²³ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Grace is provided to us to restore our relationship with God; because we who are of a perverse heart cannot ever be perfect righteousness.  Still, that Grace should never be mocked by our searching after human lusts and say that after all Grace has covered it.  The Israelites were lead out of Egypt with many miracles displayed by God.  They were saved by faith looking forward toward Christ who is the Messiah to come.  All of the old testament from Genesis to Malachi are a portrait painting forward to Christ.  Throughout the old testament is shown salvation by Grace through Faith.  There are many examples left to demonstrate to us that fact.  Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David and all the old testament saints were shown to be saved by faith and not by the law.  So the Israelites were in the wilderness (much like we on this earth) waiting to enter in the "promised land".  Instead of looking forward to the promise and holding tight to faith, they chose to murmur, to become drunk, sexual immorality, lust, and idol worship.  We are saved and sealed by Grace; yet, it is not expedient for me to take that lightly.  Nor can I be peaceful or happy if I spend my life in murmuring, lust, and sin.  How can I say that I love and seek after God–if I do not renounce sin in my own heart and life?  Yet, when we seek Him with all our hearts and like David present to Him our broken and contrite heart (destroyed by some sin we allowed in our lives); He so gently restores us into that fellowship of peace and joy with Him. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LbHd6eZrgk&list=UU42mNOLo78vBCpPh34HSUTw&index=3&feature=plcp

^{Philippians 4:}

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

⁵ Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

⁹ Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

¹¹ Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

¹² I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We sometimes in this modern day Christianity hear people proclaiming "name it and claim it"; as though God were some Santa Claus passing out elaborate and expensive worldly gifts.  When we do that we forget that the true treasure is not this mess of worldly things which we hope to cling to.  Our treasure which can cause us to Rejoice always in the Lord is our relationship with Him.  Paul admonishes us here to stop worrying about all this stuff; but, rather with a thankful heart talk to God about our needs, our desires.  As we do that, strange thing is we become more content with what we do have and like Paul we discover that we become content in whatever state we are in.  Are you thankful this morning that you have a job?  Or if you don’t have a job right now, are you thankful that somehow you have been provided a place to stay and food to survive?  If you are uncertain about where your next meal is coming from, are you thankful that you have a friend that sticketh closer than a brother who has walked that very road before you?  In Matthew 8 a scribe came to Jesus and announced that he wanted to follow Christ.  Note His reply, ¹⁹ And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

²⁰ And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Christ did not tell him you will have fancy houses and fancy cars; instead, He was saying, "To follow me there may be moments of sacrifice and suffering on this earth.  I don’t even have a place here to sleep; but, you will have me.  Are you willing to do with little earthly treasures if I so choose, so as to have fellowship with me?" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_AqncMT7RQ