Effie Darlene Barba

As Paul prepared to go to Jerusalem, he returned to Ephesus before his departure.  Many pleaded with him not to go; but he would follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, regardless of the danger.  His final speech to the leaders of the church of Ephesus reveals a life worth living: where sorrow and glory meet.

Acts 20: 17-23

¹⁷ And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

¹⁸ And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,

¹⁹ Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

²⁰ And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,

²¹ Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

²² And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

²³ Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

He knew he would not be returning; but he willingly obeyed the spirit’s prompting to go.

Life Worth Living: When Sorrow and Glory Meet

Continue reading “Life Worth Living: When Sorrow and Glory Meet”

 

As we look deeper into Acts 19, we see that Satan tried every method to try to stop this spread of Christianity; but darkness could not hide the light of God. God in His Sovereignty will not allow it.   Still, God will not override the choice one makes.  How both fit together as true is something I cannot fully understand; but I trust one day I will.  However, as we look closer at the events told of in this chapter, I think we must agree God will accomplish all that He has planned.  That is true both in my life and in the world.

Near the beginning of the chapter we are introduced to a group of very devout men.  They are busy about their work of teaching and preaching when Paul asks them if they knew the Holy Spirit?  They did not.  Because despite their devotion and their desire, they did not know the full truth of salvation.  Satan would have loved for them to remain in their ignorance, falsely believing they were saved when they had not been.  But God sent Paul to these men and they came to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Satan would love for men and women to live in a state of calling themselves Christians without really having ever come to a saving knowledge of Christ.  Afterall almost saved is not saved at all.  Satan can use such men and women to his advantage, as we see around us every day.

Darkness Could Not Hide the Light of God.

Then there came the mystics who having seen the power of Jesus Christ through healings and miracles.  They wanted to tap into that power; but they did not know Jesus.  Merely, they had witnessed the miracles of Paul and thought if they used the name of Christ, they too would become powerful.  Not uncommon today either.  So, these men went forth to exorcise a demon evoking the name of Jesus Christ.  But even the demons know clearly who Jesus Christ is and must obey Him.  Satan would have loved for the story to have been these mystics could call out the demons; but darkness could not hide the light of God.  For Jesus Christ said “no” and the demons were not exorcised.  Rather the mystics were attacked by the demons as they cried out, “we don’t know you”.

Ultimately, the mystics burned all their books of sorcery; because they feared Jesus Christ.  They had seen His true power and they knew they had none.  Instead of their darkness taking over the land, darkness could not hide the light of God.

Nor the Merchants

Ah, but you see next came a riot as the merchants and craftsmen who gained their money from selling idols revolted against the Christians.  Afterall, as people got saved, the idolatrous worship of Dianna.  Fearing that their sexual temples might be destroyed and their money diminished, they captured many of the Christians and a riot pursued.  However, their work became thwarted when it was found they had no legal right to their claim and would have to try again in a legal manner for rioting was not allowed.

Once more the darkness could not hide the light of God.  The same is true today.  Oh, yes, we look around us and mourn for darkness appears to be overshadowing everything.  The world has so blended the shadows of darkness until they appear to be light to some; but the true light of God cannot be so easily hidden.  God does have a plan and we can trust that He will accomplish all that He has planned.

One day, every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord.  ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)  Even the demons will bow one day; but it will be too late for their salvation.

Concluding thoughts:

One day every knee will bow.  For darkness could not hide the light of God, not then and not ever will it.  But the question is will you bow now, or will you only bow when it is too late; after, judgment is called.  All who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will be saved.  All who deny Him now, will for eternity be cast into hell with Satan and all his demons.

And for those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, thank God. Because no matter how dark a moment we may face, the darkness could not hide the light of God in our hearts.  He is Sovereign and we have nothing to fear or worry.  We are not alone, and He will complete the work He began in us.

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

A New Kind of Prosperity that Includes Suffering

For Prayer or Comments

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

Books Available

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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

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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 Guillaume Bleyer on Unsplash

Paul was certainly not immune to suffering.  He was aware of the tribulations he was going to face as he proclaimed the name of Jesus.  After all, he had once been the persecutor of the Christians.  No one understood this more.  Yet, some might try to say.  Well certainly Paul might have faced persecution; but that was in his time.  We live in a different time and God wants each of us to prosper.  God does want us to spiritually prosper.  However, without the trials, can we truly grow in our faith?  How can we truly come to realize that He is the only true source of our joy and our “being”?  Yes, this is a new kind of prosperity that includes suffering now for eternal gain later.

The journeys of Paul were arduous and filled with danger.  Yet, his only desire was to spread the good news that Jesus Christ, the true Messiah paid the penalty for our sings.  Only therein was there a new kind of prosperity.  A prosperity of the heart, soul and spirit was what Jesus offered to the world.  A new way of life freed from the chains of sin.  Forgiven, redeemed and filled with the love and joy of the Holy Spirit.  This was a new kind of prosperity that the world searched for vainly outside of Christ.

Today in the United States we are surrounded by great financial prosperity compared to that of many people in the world. We have basked in the freedoms of speech and religion, at least until now.  Yet, instead of peace, hope and joy these prosperities have led to division, destruction and anger.  Instead of standing firm for Jesus Christ, Christians have become “comfort-seeking, entertainment-addicted, security-craving, approval-desiring Christians”.[1]  As such we risk everything.

A New Kind of Prosperity

Indeed, within our churches today, there are many who attend in hopes to gain prestige, health, wealth and social status.  They do not truly love or even know Jesus Christ.  Not as Lord and Master of their life; hence, not as Savior.  For to be saved one must accept Him and His sacrificial gift.  He, who knew no sin, paid the ultimate price that He might be able justly to save all who come to Him.  Those who come desiring earthly gain by worshipping Him, do not really know Him.  They are seeking the gift, not the giver of the gift.  Therefore, the sad news is they do not really know Him.

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth where he taught the gospel.  He remained for 1.5 years training the new converts to continue the church growing in the truth of the gospel message.  Corinth was a city built on wealth, prosperity, and sexual pleasures.  Yet, Paul found many there who recognized that human prosperity was not satisfying, they sought for a new kind of prosperity.  A prosperity that filled the spirit and the soul, even if it came through tribulations and trials.

Brought before the tribunal another important thing that happened in Corinth was that the Roman Government accepted Christianity as a sect of Judaism, thereby legitimizing it as an acceptable religion.

Furthermore, Paul wrote his letter to Thessalonica while there in Corinth after Timothy and Silas joined him.  He had sent them to minister to the churches and now they returned to him.

The New Kind of Prosperity Revealed in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:   ² We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

³ Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

⁴ Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

⁵ For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

⁶ And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

Paul presents to them a New Kind of Prosperity.  One founded upon the joy, hope, and treasure of knowing Jesus Christ.  For this reason, we suffer here; that we might let go of earthly pleasures and find our joy in Him.  John Piper wrote: “Christ is most magnified in us when we are most satisfied in him, especially at the moment of suffering and death.”[2]  Our Joy is fulfilled in Him, greater than it could ever be with earthly things.  So, even our suffering brings Joy as Paul proclaimed.

All the suffering and affliction, the trials, the beatings, the rejection was worth it just to know the joy of witnessing your salvation and your faith (I Thessalonians 3:7-9).  Glory be to God!

So, what is this new kind of prosperity?

It is the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.  Whatever trials we face on this earth, He is all sufficient.  He is our hope, peace, love, and greatest treasure.  If I lose everything else and have Him, I am truly blessed.  For He is my Steadfast, Abiding Joy forever.

True Suffering would be spending both this lifetime and eternity separated from God.  So, the new fangled prosperity gospel proclaiming wealth, riches and fame here and now leads to the worst suffering.  Whereas the true prosperity of knowing Jesus Christ both brings joy here and now, as well as into eternity.  Which prosperity do you truly desire?  The counterfeit one or the real one.

Twitterable quotes:

[bctt tweet=”Paul knew and taught of a new kind of prosperity. Knowing Jesus Christ is the greatest joy of all. He is our greatest treasure. Nothing else!” username=”effiedarlene”]

[bctt tweet=”True Suffering would be spending both this lifetime and eternity separated from God.  So, the new fangled prosperity gospel proclaiming wealth, riches and fame here and now leads to the worst suffering.” username=”effiedarlene”]

[bctt tweet=”the true prosperity of knowing Jesus Christ both brings joy here and now, as well as into eternity.  Which prosperity do you truly desire?  The counterfeit one or the real one.” username=”effiedarlene”]

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

Are You Passionate About the Truth? Jesus is Truth

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

 

[1] John Piper, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-plundering-of-your-property-and-the-power-of-hope accessed 10/18/2019

[2] John Piper,  https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/whats-the-origin-of-desiring-gods-slogan accessed 10/19/2019

Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash

As you read about Paul’s missionary journeys in the book of Acts, you find a pattern.  Each time he entered a city, he first went to the synagogue.  He would be cast out of the synagogue and would begin to teach in the streets or in houses nearby.  Rejection never deterred him, though he faced it everywhere he went.  He had been stoned, left for dead, beaten unrelentingly until blood poured from him flesh, thrown into prison, spit on, and yet, he marched on spreading the gospel truth.  His journeys long, fatigue nor defeat a word he considered as he spread the news.  What was it that made him so bold and passionate about the truth he marched back into a city after being stoned and left for dead?  It was his love for God.  A love so great desired God’s Glory be seen and honored by all.

Are you or I that passionate about the truth?  Jesus, the Son of God, the very essence of God came, lived a perfect life, beaten, died on a cross to pay the penalty of our sins, rose from the grave victorious, and is seated on the right hand of God the Father.  Look around you.  Is not Christ’s name at stake while the secularists want to destroy all who proclaim Him as Lord and Savior? So, are you passionate about the truth?  Jesus is the only truth that really matters. He is the only hope for this world.  As we sat idly by while the minority removed God from the schools, while moving in secular humanist atheistic ideologies, we have watched as anger, division, and violence rise.  Without God, where is hope?  No wonder people search endlessly for self, where self cannot be found.

Paul Passionate about the Truth

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Spiritual Discernment is defined as a decision-making process in which an individual makes a discovery that can lead to future action. In the process of Christian spiritual discernment God guides the individual to help them arrive at the best decision.  That is essential in this Christian journey; because, we need the Spiritual Discernment afforded by the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us each step of the way.  Sometimes we face very difficult decisions and are uncertain as to the way to go, until the doors all shut before us and around us.  That does not mean we throw up our hands and quit.  Rather with hope filled expectation we await the Holy Spirit to open the right door.  At other times we face severe tribulations and wonder if we could have gotten off track, only to find the Holy Spirit filling our heart with peace and joy amid the trials.

Certainly, this was the case for Paul as he embarked on his second missionary journey.  He was provided with abounding faith in his heart, along side a mind filled with spiritual discernment for the journey.  The ups and downs of life presented themselves all along the way, yet he remained focused on Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior every step of the way.  Early along this journey he met Timothy who became as dear to him as a son would be.  After Timothy accepted Christ, Paul recommend he be circumcised.  Not because it was needed for salvation, as Paul had fought to prove in the previous chapter.  Rather this was done to open more doors for Timothy as he grew in the ministry of Christ.  As Paul later wrote, “take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak” (1Corinthians 8:9).

Spiritual Discernment for Travel

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