Effie Darlene Barba

If there is one thing for certain in this life, there will always be a barrage of relentless storms.  Whether that be illness, financial distress, problems, matters of the heart, or the loss of someone precious to you.  Sometimes life seems unbearable as our heart fills with anxiety or even lays shattered at our own feet.  How often I have been there and how quickly I fall back into that dark abyss when the relentless storms of life keep raging around me.  So, who am I to tell you the 5 keys of surviving?  Ah, precisely, I have been there and have learned how to recalibrate my heart quickly.  Or when my heart will not recalibrate, how to ride through the relentless storms of life, trusting in a Holy, Sovereign God who knows what is best for me.  Even if the relentless storms of life are what brings the good.

Paul had just spent two years in the house of Felix, separated from the ones he loved.  Despite his ministry to Felix and to King Agrippa neither came to a saving knowledge of Christ.  For a man whose heart beat for the lost, this must have broke his heart.  Furthermore, the Jewish leaders with hearts hardened toward the truth of God sending the Messiah must have also caused great grief for Paul.  He had more than enough time to reflect those two years of all the relentless storms of life he had battled for the name of Christ.  Paul knew the truth of the gospel.  He knew not all would be saved and there would be relentless storms.  However, I cannot believe that his human heart did not lay shattered at times at the foot of the cross.  Also, he had time to reflect about his own failures in life.

Relentless Storms

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Paul unashamedly presented the gospel message every chance he had.  It was as such he during an audience with Felix did just that.  Paul spoke to him and his wife Priscilla “concerning the faith in Christ.  And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, ‘Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.’ (Acts 24:25).  Almost! But still the same devastating loss for Felix as if he had said “No Way.”   He had felt the Spirit’s power convicting him, for he trembled at the words.  But he turned away, with “later”.  How many say, “No, maybe later I will believe; but not now.” Felix hoped that someone would offer him money for Paul’s release.  His mind so focused on worldly gain that he did not answer the Spirits call. What devastating loss!

            For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26).  Felix had hoped to gain riches here, but alas he lost his soul.  Two years, Paul was there near him. However, for Felix a convenient season never came.  Felix was then replaced as governor by Festus.  The Jews petitioned him for Paul.  They wanted him dead.  As Festus found no Roman law had been broken, he asked Paul whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem for trial before the priests.  Paul, as a Roman citizen then petitioned his right to be taken before Caesar.  While Paul remained there, King Agrippa came to visit Festus.  Festus then asked him to render his opinion in the matter of Paul.  Hence, Paul was brought before King Agrippa.

Almost remains a devastating loss

Continue reading “Why Is “Almost” the Same Devastating Loss as “No Way”?”

Paul was carried to the Governor Felix for further determination of whether he was guilty of a crime.  Five days later Ananias the high priest with his spokesman came to inform the governor against Paul.  So, they all came with their liberal conspiracy lies to accuse him of high treason.  Naturally, they begin their oration with flattery all of which were intended to turn the head of Felix.  Yet, he knew they did not mean any of it.  He knew that as well; but, anyway this is what we learn in Acts chapter 24-how to respond to liberal conspiracy lies.

Speaking of Paul they said, “For we have found this man a pestilent fellow,   and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: who also hath gone about to profane the temple.  We took him and would have judged him him according to our law.  But the chief captain Lysias came upon us. And with great violence took him away out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come unto thee.” (Acts 24:5-8).

LIBERAL CONSPIRACY LIES

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Filled with the Spirit

by Effie Darlene Barba

 

be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

I come repentant once again

Broken hearted for my sin

My thoughts they drift to think of me

Until Your face I cannot see

There tossed upon the raging waves

Where pride and self in pain enslaves

This heart of mine came spiraling down

Until I felt I soon shall drown

Where went the peace, the joy I knew

Just yesterday, the sky was blue

I know your Spirit lives within

Though sometimes grieved by my sin

I long dear Lord to see Your face

I know of Your amazing grace

So, here I stand before Your throne

Surrendered to You and You alone

So, filled with grief that I forgot

Just for a moment, I was bought

Redeemed, Beloved, Your Precious Child

And then, I thought of You. I smiled

Remembering all the love that’s mine

The lights of hope began to shine

Surrendered fully to your will

My beating heart began to still

Being filled the Spirit’s Word

A song of praise within me stirred

I never want to leave this place

Of Joy surrounded by Your grace

 

be filled with the Spirit;  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5: 19-20).

 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  (Galatians 5: 22-25)

Concluding Thoughts

So, how are we being continuously filled with the Holy Spirit—it is moment by moment giving Him undivided control, undivided possession, and undivided use.

It is keeping our eyes focused on Jesus Christ, surrendering our life, our hearts and our will to Him.

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. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

Then what do we get?

The fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control.   What better exchange! Our self, filled with anguish, anger, frustration, and despair for His Joy, Hope, Peace, Love, and self-control!

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.

Poems PREVIOUSLY

A New Creation

The Key

The Mystery

I Am in Christ all I Am Not

The Great Pleasure of His Will-a Poem

If I in Silence Do Dismiss  (A Poem)

But for God, the Sorrows that Abound- a poem

How to Live a Life of Grace as God’s Beloved

ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?

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Books Available

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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 by ferdinand feng on Unsplash

It had been a very rough day and night.  Now Paul was being brought before the Jews who had accused him.  The Roman Guards wanted to get to the bottom of the story.  They wanted to understand what Paul had done to so anger the crowd and they wanted to get it right.  After all, they were there to keep the peace; but to do so they needed to know what laws might have been broken, if any.  So, there he stood before the crowd.  Paul began.  “Men and Brethern, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”  Washed in the blood of Christ, Paul’s conscience was clean.  He had surrendered to God’s will each step of the way.  Ah, but unwittingly he was about to break the law for which he quickly acknowledged his own failure. Repenting, he sought God’s wisdom once more to respond.

So, what was the blunder for which Paul repented?  The high Priest commanded someone close to Paul to hit him in the mouth.  Paul replied, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?” (ACTS 23:3 NET). In other words, he called the high Priest a hypocrite.  However, he had not realized Ananias was the high priest.  So, they had him on a technicality, because he for a second lost his cool.  “⁴Do you dare insult God’s high priest?” ⁵ Paul replied, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’ (Acts 23, NET).  He had broken the law for which he repented immediately.  How quickly do we repent?

When We Fail

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