God’s True Prophet Sent to the World

Before creation, God determined that He would create man and woman in His image.  They were to be a people on whom He could shower His love, fill with His Joy and allow to marvelously experience His Glory.  Then why did He allow the fall?  Perhaps it is as C.S. Lewis declared—free will was necessary for one to fully experience this love-for to be incapable of choosing to love, is no real love.  Or perhaps it is as Jonathan Edwards has said, for us to fully savor and rejoice in God in all we Glory, we must first see Him in all His Glory.  How can I know of His Grace or of His Justice if I never saw anything else?  Can I know the beauty of light, if I had never experienced darkness? From before time began, God’s plan did include the True Prophet-His Word made flesh.

It is not necessary for me to fully grasp all there is to know of God’s plan in order to embrace the beauty of His Grace or His Love.  As He declared in Isaiah 55: 8-9 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Still I can trust Him with every detail of my life, for His Word is true.  God told Adam of the redemptive plan very shortly after Adam chose to sin.  Then throughout the history of time, God revealed His plan of salvation to men who failed even to heed His Plea.  For he knows how weak we are;
  He remembers we are only dust. (Psalm 103:14 NLT)

The Prophet Foretold In Deuteronomy

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What Truly Robs Your Joy and Your Freedom?

It was freedom and joy that they desired when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.  Yet those were the very things they lost; because they did what they thought was right in their own eyes.  Oh, yes! The serpent enticed them; but they chose to believe the lies.  It was freedom that gave them that ability.  A freedom they had enjoyed, walking each day in the Garden with God.  Their life had been one of joy, peace, and harmony.  Love overflowed all around them.  Perfect harmony and joy in their relationship together, their relationship with the earth, and their relationship with God.  But the tragedy was, they chose to become dissatisfied when they looked upon the fruit, desired it, and questioned the goodness of God toward them.  He, who had created them and given them everything, was quickly cast aside for their own acceptance of a lie.

Freedom and Joy lost

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If I Truly Love You–a Poem of Reflection

If I Truly Love You

by Effie Darlene Barba

 

If I truly love You,  Lord, today

With all my heart and soul

What would I do, what would I say?

If You became my highest goal?

 

If all I sought was Your dear face

To know You more each day

Would I then Lord reflect Your Grace

To all who pass my way.

 

What if I loved you with all my mind?

My focus finely tuned just so

Would I then be always kind?

To those who do not know.

 

While holding fast to faith and trust

Though arrows fly so near

The whispering lies that then I must

Deflect with truth, no fear

 

And if I loved with all my might

To keep yours laws, commands

And make the choice to do what’s right

Held firm within Your Hands

 

If I could see Your thorn scarred brow

The nail scars in Your hands

The depth of love You had somehow

For one who makes demands

 

Of foolish, selfish, wants desires

Forgetting who I am

A sinner stuck within the mires

A pride filled, evil scam

 

If I could see the darkest depth

That lies within my heart

Bitter tears are what I’d wept

My Sorrows ne’er depart

 

Were it not for Grace so Grand

That looked beyond this truth

And took me gently by Your Hand

While I was in my Youth

 

It for this, Dear Lord I find

Your love reached out for me

And opened wide my then closed mind

That I though blind might see

 

The wonders of Your glorious Light

The breadth and depth of Love

So, I might then find my delight

Seated with You above

 

If I truly love You,  Lord, today

With all my heart and soul

What would I do, what would I say?

If You became my highest goal?

 

So, help me lord to die to me

Place my desires upon that cross

Until your will is all I see

And there forgetting any loss

 

I look to you my greatest King

The treasure I desire

As there before Your Throne I sing

Impassioned by a heart on fire

 

Until my greatest, brightest dream

I know is found in You alone

That trials are not what they seem

While You have made my heart Your Throne

 

I then could skip with Joy each day

To Know you’re by my side

What would I do? What would I say?

If in Your love I did abide.

Luke 7:

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So, he said, “Teacher, say it.”

41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 

Saving Faith Should Bring Devotional Love

44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link.  There is nothing more important than this; because,  He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

PREVIOUSLY

How Can I Truly Love and Treasure God?

Can you Love God with All Your Heart?

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Or if you would like to share  your story or thoughts, you can  comment here

Books Available

If you want to know more about books I have written, click on this link to discover my Book Resources.

Another option is going to Amazon.com. There you can find my books by searching for Effie Darlene Barba.  Or click this link to be taken there

Furthermore  for inspirational photos or home decor click here.

Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2019
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

How Can I Truly Love and Treasure God?

It has become so evidently clear to me recently, that my life would be completely transformed if only I could truly love and treasure God as I should.  Oh, I don’t mean all the trials of this world would disappear.  If anything, the trials and the tribulations most likely would increase.

However, I would be transformed to have the heart of Jesus I so long to have.  No longer would I have to battle against the blemishes of my own heart which fails me too often.  My words would be tempered by His love overflowing through me.  And my actions would be pure, if only I could truly love and treasure God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. But how does that happen?  How can I truly love and treasure God, desiring Him above all else?  Perhaps it is only when I come to the very end of me, that I truly find Him.

But this I know! It all begins with His perfect love toward me.  That love wipes away all my fear of being judged; because, Christ paid the price for my regenerate heart with His blood, shed upon the cross as atonement for me.

 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (I John 4:18-19 NKJV)

It must begin there.  If I allow my heart to be entrapped with guilt over my failures, I am doubting Him.  That is, I question His Integrity, when I fear He cannot forgive me for what He has already forgiven.  Any doubt of His Absolute Goodness toward me, prevents my being perfected in His love. And doubt leads to sin.

Renewing the Mind

Oh, do not get me wrong, I am not saying I should brush aside my sin either.  Instead I must see it clearly, quit making excuses for it, and run head on into His arms, weeping for I have failed Him, the one I love.  If I see my sin as it truly is: one more strike of the whip cutting His body, then I must truly repent with tears. As I see my sin and my heart with all its depravity, I am even more amazed by His Grace for me.  Overwhelmed by His love toward me, my hardened heart melts. My love for Him grows exponentially.  My own desires to know Him, to be with Him, and to cherish Him passionately grows.

Then as my heart learns to treasure God, I become aware of the need to remain steadfastly in His word.  The battle moves from the heart to my mind, where I must face the day to day bombardment by Satan, my surroundings, and my own thoughts.

2 Do not be conformed[c] to this present world,[d] but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve[e] what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you[f] a measure of faith.[g] Romans 12:2-3 NET

The Holy Spirit is there to help me discern truth from lies, if only I ask Him to.

Is Love an Emotion or a Command? Do You Treasure God?

The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:29 (NKJV).

It is the first Commandment. So, it is a command; but love remains also an emotion.

Jesus also said:

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10: 37-39 (NKJV)

For most of us, we do not love a child based on commanding our heart to love that child (although there may be moments when we must do just that).  Yet, for the most part it is an emotion.  When you first “fall in love”, you want to be always near the other person, you cannot imagine yourself away from them.  Your heart hurts when not in their presence.  Have you ever felt that way about Jesus? Do you treasure God, cherish Him and delight to be in His presence? It must by nature be both a command of the heart and an emotion.

At times we must command our hearts and minds to do that which is right, then the emotions will follow.  Then, at other times, we are so overwhelmed by His grace, the emotions lead the way.

So it is we love Him with all our heart (emotions), our mind (determination of will) and strength (willing to fight for that love).

Do You Treasure God?

If you honestly see yourself with all the depravity of your own heart. Then you see God for who He IS- the creator of the Universe- who chose to love you enough to pay your penalty that you might be clothed in His righteousness, bathed in His love, showered in His joy, and drenched in His mercy.  How could you not treasure God above all else?  You would accept His Gift of salvation by believing in Jesus Christ, His son!  Then, you would be amazed by that very Grace He has given you.

Your heart would long to be near Him, cherish Him and would grow to treasure God above all else.  You would willingly lay aside all the ruble seeing it for what it is: flailing desires of a dead heart desiring life; but cannot find it

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link.  There is nothing more important than this; because,  He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

PREVIOUSLY

Can you Love God with All Your Heart?

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Or if you would like to share  your story or thoughts, you can  comment here

Books Available

If you want to know more about books I have written, click on this link to discover my Book Resources.

Another option is going to Amazon.com. There you can find my books by searching for Effie Darlene Barba.  Or click this link to be taken there

Furthermore  for inspirational photos or home decor click here.

Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2019
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Can you Love God with All Your Heart?

 

A question I ponder often.  What would it truly look like if I could love God with all my heart, my mind and my strength?  How would my reactions to others be different?  “The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).  Yet, how?  I so long to know and to live that. Despite that being my desire, I find myself at times distracted by the things of this world.  A conflict, a response to others, a selfish thought, pain, sorrow, and my own failure of heart to love with that intensity anything.  Though I know only God can transform my heart to look like His. But how long will it take? Sometimes it feels like forever.

It would seem at times that when more of His tenderness presents itself within my heart, it too reveals another area of stoniness.  And I know that any failure to look like Jesus, is a failure of my loving Him fully as I should.  Saturday, I went to the Holy Land Experience where the play was about Simon Peter.  At the end, Peter ran forward singing a song to Jesus as he entered heaven and Jesus embraced him.  That song spoke of God’s love, mercy and grace to one undeserving sinner and I wept bitterly for that portrayed me as well.

King Josiah was one whom the Bible tells us “like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him” (2 Kings 23:25).

Love God with All his Heart

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