Effie Darlene Barba

I Peter 3: ⁸ Finally, all [of you] should be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each other] as brethren [of one household], compassionate and courteous (tenderhearted and humble).

⁹ Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God—that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection].

This is an incredible admonition whether it be within the Christian community, the family, or inside your work family.  This can be at times a very difficult thing to do; because we tend to "want what we want."  We tend, in our humanity to ever seek to protect our own egos and by thus doing frequently fail to lovingly, humbly look at the needs of the others who are around us.  We become fragmented as a group when we become concerned with meeting our own crippled emotional needs and stop seeing the needs of those around us. We need to remember the grace by which God has entreated us and thereby extend that same grace to others.  We were not deserving of any grace; yet, we so often fail to extend that grace outward.  We wear our own feelings on our sleeves and dare anyone to injure it.  United we may stand against the evil that may press in from all sides, divided we will fail.  Beyond all that, we stand united under the blessing of God’s hand when we learn to show the same mercy we have been shown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZcTQ2RoXO0

 

I have a second website which just went live which showcases both my books which are available and the artwork of Ronald Barba, my son.  That website is: http://www.truthofgodunveiled.com/.  

The beginning of the concept for myglorytoglory.com was to be able to share in this my journey of Grace.  Genesis 6: ⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

That grace was unmerited, he was among the men that God looked down upon whose heart was filled with evil imagining. ⁵ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagining of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually  Yet, God reached down and chose Noah and shone a light of unmerited Grace to him to save him from the coming judgement.  I have found it so amazing that God would have chosen this heart of mine to demonstrate that same unmerited Grace; yet, He did.  Before I was ever born, He knew each time that I would fail Him, every time that pride, human desire, or jealousy would cause me to fail Him.  Still, in spite of all that, He still chose me to be adopted into His family.  This rebel child was chosen from the orphanage of life and surrounded by His mercy, His grace, and His love.  Ever so gently He has wooed me, causing me to develop a love for Him that goes beyond any human love could.  I so desire to please my Father and feel the bitter pain of sorrow each time I dishonor His name by some deed of my own or by doubting Him. He gave me a part of Himself- the Holy Spirit to guide me along this journey.   Romans 8: ⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

He then promised not to leave me in the rebellious state where He found me; but would step by step transform me into the image of His own Son. Romans 8: ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  He continues to display more and more of Himself so that as I gaze upon the Glory that is found in Christ, I am being transformed into that image  2Corinthians 3: ¹⁷ Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord   My human heart is unable to see Him in His fullness of Glory; but as I continue to gaze upon Him (though through a glass that dims the magnitude) He changes me into that same image Glory by Glory.  Little Glories followed by new little Glories, inch by inch, step by step–I am changed.  By studying and meditating upon His word, I am polishing that glass so that I might see Him more clearly and yearn for Him more with each passing day.  Even that, is by Grace; because I could not be enlightened by His Word were He not to illuminate it to shine it deep into the dark recesses of my heart.  If you feel Him calling you, I urge you to run to Him.  Don’t sit in the corner of some orphanage of life and say that maybe later.  Later may never come.  He is standing there.  He paid the price for your adoption and He is bidding you to come now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXVUYC_ykwE&feature=related

Hebrews 6: ¹⁷ Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

¹⁸ That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

¹⁹ Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

²⁰ Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Romans 8:

³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]

³⁴ Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us? ²³ To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Hebrews 12:

²⁴ And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

²⁵ See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

²⁶ Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

²⁷ And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸ Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.

Wherein can we find our confidence and our hope of salvation.  This dark heart of mine and I daresay you struggle with even the command that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our mind and all of our soul; despite all that He has already done and continues to do in my life, I find myself getting distracted by the tasks and cares of this world.  God in perfect righteousness, justice and Glory hates sin and is a God of consuming fire against sin.  Yet, He provided the new covenant–a covenant confirmed by by His own oath and promise to all who would believe.  A promise to remember our sins no more because of the price that Jesus paid on the cross for us.  A price that only perfect righteousness could pay to cover our sins past, present and future.  He established an anchor for our soul with that anchor holding firm both within our soul and reaching into heaven tightly fixed upon His throne.  We are to hold fast to that anchoring rope; yet, His own hands are stretched out and grasped around ours that we cannot fall or let go once we have taken hold.  He has shed the light of the knowledge of Himself into our hearts that we might be able to see him with the eyes of our heart and to desire Him.  While Christ remains ever at His right hand pleading with intercessory prayer for us that our faith will not fail.  He grasps hold of our hands so that they cannot slip off of that anchor while we are holding it.  Our hope is anchored in His covenant, His intercessory prayer for us; so that the storms of this life cannot jar us free from Him.  For that reason, we must be moving forward through sanctification.  If you do not have this hope founded in Him, if you do not see His sanctifying work being brought about in your life (so that sins of yesteryear become less desirous), if you are not growing in your faith and love for Him–then perhaps you have only taken hold of religion but not the saving Grace that comes from faith in Christ as your only hope. 

The following song, I know is in Spanish.  The English version just is not the same song, so let me translate.  And for the Spanish speaking people, I know this is not a word for word translation; but songs never are–I think you will agree that I did translate the sentiment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuMP-bpHT-U

When I was seen in the nakedness of who I am, without breath to live

Plowing through a desert sea completely without love, I knew that my soul was dead

You arrived like the light of the sun

Because of you I am stronger than my destiny

Because of you I am your hero confronting pain

Without You I was so desperately lost

Because of You I am greater than I am

Hebrews 4: ¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

I fear that too often we tend to not realize that Christ did suffer temptation.  When He chose to pay the penalty for our sins, He chose to take on human flesh and to suffer the temptations of sin’s lies.  We see some of those lies when He was being tempted by Satan in the desert.  His body felt hunger, sexual desire, anger, and pain as we did; yet, He did not sin. His temptation never let up.  Example, when you are on a diet the temptation to eat that piece of cheesecake lasts only as long as you continue to resist it; but goes away when you succumb to temptation.  Christ did not succumb to the temptation; therefore, the temptation remained and built within Him.  He spent every morning in prayer with the Father and I believe He pleaded with the Father not to allow the flesh He bore to win.  He knew that if He sinned, there would be no propitiation for sin.  If He did not remain perfect righteousness, the cross meant nothing.  If we do not see the depth of His temptation, His righteousness, and His obedience, we can never see the depravity of our own sin against God.  We must fight against sin within our own hearts and plead ever the more that God display His power and righteousness through us.  If we make light of His temptation, we make light of our own sin.  Philippians 2: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

His obedience was perfected by His overcoming the temptations of the flesh.  His Glory was magnified by His taking on human flesh, conquering sin and dying a substitutionary death to pay our penalty of sin.  For the eternal joy set before Him (the joy of sharing His love, joy and glory with us); He chose to come to earth, risk everything, and to die on a cross rejected by the very ones He came to save.

So, we must too take example and pray that God’s righteousness reign in our hearts, minds, and souls.  We must study and grow on the milk of the word so that we might stand firm against sin’s tempting lies; holding tight to our faith, believing that He has provided us with the righteousness that He wishes to display through us.  Our only defensive weapon in this fight is His word.  Do you really believe that He has provided you His righteousness; then, if so why not display it in your life? This should be our prayer each morning that we might seek Him with all our hearts and lay aside our petty desires to desire Him our greatest treasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJY0KnUjkPI

Romans 5: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

³ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

⁴ And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Our justification is by faith, our endurance is by faith, and we are able to stand because of faith.  The true question in the Christian walk is do I believe what God has promised.  Do I really believe that He loves me and that He has the perfect plan for my life?  Do I really believe that He intends for me to share in His love, His joy and His glory or do I doubt His sincerity?  I daresay that any time I have fallen short of that Glory it has been because I really did not believe these truths deep in my heart.  If I did then why would I try to manipulate my circumstances or seek after anything other than Him?  He has taken the responsibility for not only my salvation, my justification; but also, my sanctification.  His purpose is to make me look more like Christ so that I can be presented before Him as a bride without blemish.  If you really love someone you cannot just leave them satisfied with only half truths; but, rather you ever so gently coax them into becoming the best that they can be.  Much like a baby who has learned to crawl and then with gentleness and guidance you help him to begin to walk.  Would you want to have him only crawl for the rest of his life and miss out on those things which he can discover through walking?   Our ability to Stand Firm is based wholly upon Grace. By that I do not wish you to imagine something soft and fragile; but rather this comes with the Mighty Power of A God who spoke the Galaxies into being with one breath. Grace reigns through Jesus with Power, Authority and Dominion over the entire Universe. That is the power that makes you stand and keeps you standing, and stand you will even in your weakest moments because God Himself is holding you there. Romans 14: “⁴Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”

Because of all of this, “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  Would there be any reason left not to be joyous.  He saved me, He sealed me and He will finish the work of transforming me into the image of Christ.  I must rejoice in the hope that I will look like Christ.  Maybe not today, but I will one day look like Him in all His Glory.  That hope should be enough to keep me rejoicing through whatever trial or tribulation may come my way; knowing that God is working out my perfecting and He only has my best interest at heart.  Our faith which is anchored in Jesus Christ is not only for what He has already done but that this Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient Savior is steady about the work of imparting His Glory to me.  I see glimpses of that Glory, little changes and transformations that are forever presenting themselves in me.  I, like Paul, have not yet obtained it; yet, I look more like Him today than I did 10 years ago or 20 years ago.  He will complete the work He started in me by His power and might, Hallelujah, Amen.

The Grace in Which I Stand

Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold

Where is the faith to make you bold

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

To follow Him in liberty

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So for His work my passion warmed

So for His work my passion warmed

So in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7oZkBgZCm4