Effie Darlene Barba

James 1: ²¹ So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

²² But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

²³ For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

²⁴ For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

²⁵ But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

How many church goers or people who proclaim Christianity have heard of God’s plan for salvation and have never asked Him into their hearts?  They hear the word, they may even join the church and go about their days never realizing that they never asked Christ into their hearts.  They "pull up their boot-straps and go about trying to live a good life" but never have the power within to guide them; because they never really saw with the eyes of their heart the "glory of God" by which they then see their own depravity and then come to God with a heart broken by sin to receive His gift of righteousness purchased on the cross.  Those who truly know Him, love Him.  It is that love that compels the true believer to  study to learn more of Him, to live out the life of righteousness that has been bestowed upon the believer.  So many may know of Him but like Adam are seeking only His gifts and choose to love the creation more than the creator.  We know the results of that choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI_1YliutzA

Amos 8: ³ And the songs of the temple shall be wailings in that day, saith the Lord Jehovah: the dead bodies shall be many: in every place shall they cast them forth with silence.

⁴ Hear this, O ye that would swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,

⁵ saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit;

⁶ that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

⁷ Jehovah hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

⁸ Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? yea, it shall rise up wholly like the River; and it shall be troubled and sink again, like the River of Egypt.

⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.

¹⁰ And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

¹¹ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah.

¹² And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of Jehovah, and shall not find it.

They attended the temple, they worshiped God with their words; but not their hearts.  They sought after prosperity at any cost and with no concern for the poor and the needy.  They failed to see God as the treasure of their lives and they failed to see that His words were truth, hope, and joy.  Instead they sought after self gain and the more they sought the more they heard only their vain voices of "prosperity gospel", "new age philosophy" and "watered down doctrine".  This they continued until God caused a famine of His Word to be present in the land.  Sound familiar.  Is that not what we have begun to see in our own land?  Thousands of churches present in a city with little truth being taught.  After all, if we were to preach the truth would we be able to fill our offering plate?  Is it not also so true of our government?  What does it matter were we to lie or cheat, as long as we proclaim our greatness?  As a people, what does it say?  Is that desire to proclaim our prosperity and our need to buy a house larger and finer than we can afford part of the dilemma that drives the financial crisis we are in? Have we a created a society of people who believe they are "entitled" and do not appreciate the need to work and sweat that we might have bread?

Do we all believe that we should be entitled to more for less work?  Where are our work ethics?  We need to awaken from this slumber, put God as foremost–His truth, His Honor.  If we all began to do our jobs and live our lives as though we are living and working for God and if we begin to treasure God’s truth as supreme; then and only then will we truly prosper with that which is worth while.  We need to each one declare war within our own hearts and let God reign supreme in our own hearts–casting aside those desires for treasures that water down His truth and stand firm for Him. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvrucWIKFv4&feature=related

John 1: ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And 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.

Galatians 4:5-7

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

⁶ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

⁷ Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Romans 8:  ¹⁴ 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:

So many want to teach or believe that all who are born into this world are God’s Children; but it is not by the will of man that we may be adopted.  Nor is it by "the will of our flesh" –it cannot be by our own good merit or works. Nor is by human birth (not of blood).  The "Word" was made flesh–Christ the only true word of the Gospel came to this earth to pay the price for our adoption–to pay the penalty that a just, righteous judge would require. The sheer fact that we would think that there is anything that we (the creation) could do to procure our relationship with the Creator of heaven and earth presents itself as such a blasphemy.   We are such a foolish people who think way too much of ourselves when we cannot keep even the first commandment.  Deuteronomy 6:5

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might..   Do we love with Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might?  We, who desire that everything goes our way, we, who pout whenever we don’t get our way.  Yet, despite all that, God reaches out to provide the way so that we can be adopted as His children–to be heirs and joint-heirs with Christ.  He wants to share with His Children that joy, that love, and that Glory with which is clothed His Son.  Our part in this great adoption?  Our only part is to believe on Jesus Christ.  One step so simple and yet so complex.  To believe is more than just words, it is to believe with all your heart, your spirit and soul.  It means laying aside all other vain attempts of our humanity and to humbly accept Him as the only way.  It means to desire Him (the Giver) above all other treasures.  It means accepting Him as our Heavenly Father through accepting the Salvation purchased by His Son. 

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

^{Matthew 5: 14} Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

What kind of light are you giving off?  I must remind myself of that very question every day and sometimes every moment.  When I would choose to take my eyes off Christ and focus on my own petty or selfish desires, what kind of light can I shine?  One that would glorify my Father?  I daresay not.  When I let myself get caught up in self, I may become filled with "hurts" thinking someone has wronged me or not noticed my efforts.  When I let myself get caught up in my own guilt, I allow myself so much pride as to say Christ’s death was not enough to cover my sin.  What a foolish bunch we humans can be and it is a wonder that God would choose us to bestow His love, Mercy and Grace upon.  We need to be ever mindful of our thoughts, our words, and our actions so that we may bring honor to our Heavenly Father.  The only way that we may reach that or attain that is to keep our focus on Him, dying to our self-centered desires.  He is our true light  John 12: 

⁴⁵ And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

⁴⁶ I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

⁴⁷ And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

We have no light of our own; therefore, the only way that we might "shine a light that would glorify the Father" is by shining forth the light and the righteousness that has been imputed to us by Christ Himself.  That true light of the gospel of the Knowledge of Christ has been darkened in this world and we as His children must forever be about the business of pouring forth His light from within these broken vessels of clay.  2 Corinthians 4:⁴ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  Indeed, instead of moaning when trials come, realize that chips in this clay pot only allow the light from within to shine out. 

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

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.

⁴ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Surrounding us are a cloud of witnesses who will testify to our life.  Those witnesses include our children, our families, our co-workers, our acquaintances, the check out girl at a store, the people at church, and pretty much anyone we come in contact with.  For that reason we are called to lay aside every weight and that sin which doth so easily beset us.  Each of us have an area of sin that lures us away or that presents itself in our lives over and over again.  It generally begins with some emotional need or feeling that attacks from many sides such as loneliness, self-loathing, pride, anger, jealousy, envy, or guilt to name a few.  But, if our true purpose on this earth is to testify to a dying world of Christ, then we must lay aside all these weights and sins by looking unto Jesus the Author and the Finisher of our faith.  Remember that He endured the cross so that you might be justified, so that His joy in sharing His love, hope and joy with you might be accomplished.  Is there anything encumbering you today that you wish to cling to?  Cast it away so that you might run the race.

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