In Romans 1:18-32, Paul made the case for all those with a depraved mind being condemned certainly.  Most people would agree with his list as deserving. Although some would not count sexual immorality in the same group as those in the final list.  “They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. ..Rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless” (Romans 1:29-31).  But what about the “good people”, surely God cannot judge them the same way as those.  Yet, who are the good people?  And who determines or states what is good?

The secular humanist movement in the early 1900s determined to write about these good people. They purported that we are born good people who only need society to change so our goodness could be manifested or evolved properly.  Their goal to make a case for humankinds’ innate goodness, denying that God existed.  “We are an evolving species,” they declared.  Utopia could be ours, if we change our society.

Yet, in direct response to their first manifesto the 20^th century brought the bloodiest century in history.  Hitler’s ideologies came directly from their teaching that the fittest of the species should survive, directly from their ideas of evolutionary change.  With him came the holocaust, but the millions killed there only represented a drop in the bucket of lives lost.  WWI and WWII brought so many casualties.  Then, there was Stalin, again whose socialist ideas mirrored those of the secular humanists to develop the Utopian society.  Millions died under Stalin, as did under Mao in China, 20% of Cambodia’s population under Pol Pot, and those in Rwanda. So, the “good people” said “oops.”

And the Good People Who Don’t Know or Who Deny God?

Continue reading What About the Good People Without God? →

All one need do is look around to recognize that we are surrounded by hate and corruption.  A corruption that runs so deep within the fabric of our nation that we can only moan.  It is hard to recognize what is true or right anymore with so much noise and ideologies surrounding us daily.  What once we shirked at or thought unimaginable, we now accept as the norm!  Instead of proclaiming the truth of the gospel to the world around us, we hide it away in our hearts.  So, afraid that others will think us hate filled, we run into seclusion.  Yet, should it be that way?  When I look deep into my own heart, recognizing the evil that is me and the grace of a loving God who continues to work to transform my heart, why wouldn’t I want to share that?  Only Christ can transform hearts.

As we look around us, we must recognize this truth.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.  They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. … rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless.  Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.  (Romans 1:28-32)

As a nation, we are guilty of pushing God aside.  And as a people, we now have a choice.  Either we turn, repent, and seek Him or we will perish.

God Gave Them Over

Continue reading What is Needed to Overcome Hate and Corruption? →

In this world that we live, like Paul we must not be “ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16 NKJV).  Regardless of the ridicule that may be thrown at you in this nation or by the mainstream media, we must not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.  Why?  “For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes… in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16 NKJV).  Every day that we live, we must be reminded of the urgency and the necessity that we hold fast to this truth. For if we do not, we truly have lost sight of our primary purpose on this earth and have lost sight of our first love.

“This is the most life-transforming truth ever put into men’s hands.  If we really understand and respond to these truths in these two verses, time and eternity is totally altered.  Now I believe that these two verses form the theme and the thesis for the epistle to the Romans.  In brief but glorious and comprehensive terms the epistle is compressed into these basic truths.  It is a statement of the gospel of Christ.  Paul begins by saying, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” and then in concise terms expresses it in those two verses.”  John McArthur [1]

Love Demands We Not Be Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

Continue reading 10 Reasons Not to Be Ashamed of The Gospel of Christ →

As we come to the end of the book of Deuteronomy, we can look back through the journey of the children of Israel with Moses.  How much of their journey is like our own through this world?  They were the chosen, beloved children of God, just as we who know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  As such, God lovingly referred to them as Jeshurun. I daresay, we too, are Jeshurun–a poetical name, used in token of affection, meaning, “the dear upright people.”   It is a term of endearment; the Greek Septuagint translates Jeshurun as “beloved one,” using a form of the word agape. When you truly understand what that means, can anything really rob your joy in God?

Perhaps for a moment, the trial seems too heavy to bear.  Yet, whatever the trial is, God is there amid all the pain and sorrow.  He allows it only to the degree that He knows our hearts can bear.  Sustaining us with His loving arms around us, He allows the testing of our love toward Him.  Furthermore, He allows the testing of our hearts to help us grow ever closer to the image of Christ.  My frail and sometimes flailing heart too often desires things that would only give me counterfeit joy instead of His true Joy which is everlasting.  To fully know Him, I must at times face trials.  Afterall, should I deserve any less?  I have not yet suffered to the degree that my Savior did and He so undeserving-for unlike me, He was perfect righteousness.

Who Can Rob Your Joy in God?

Continue reading Beloved, Can Anything Really Rob Your Joy in God? →

As we over the past few months have studied the nation of Israel in the wilderness on their way to the promised land, we have seen so much our our own lives as Christians.  Moments of great triumph followed by moments of failure in their faith.  They would choose other things thinking in them they would find joy and happiness instead of relying on the only true source of happiness.  By their chose into the wilderness they ran, where God would have to come stir up everything and through the great trial turn them back to Him where joy was there.  That is until they would allow discontentment to creep in again and once more they would turn from God.

But has that not also been the case in my own life.   Or perhaps yours.  Trials would come that caused me to turn back to Him.  Just as the mother eagle replaces the downy nest with rocks to force the baby eaglets to stretch forth and learn to fly.  So it is, God fills our self made comfortable beds with rocks and stone until we learn to soar with Him.  Trials come to awaken us, to draw us closer to Him, and to prove our love.  Sometimes it is because we ran headlong into the wilderness of our own making.  And sometimes they come in the moments of growth when we were reaching high.  Either way they come to help us learn more of Him.

This is a poem for any of you, who into the wilderness have run.  I have along this journey more than once.  But God’s grace always came to get me and bring back home where I realized my greatest treasure is knowing Him.

Into the Wilderness I ran

 

Into the wilderness I ran

Pursuing my desire

How was it that I did not see

The flames, the raging fire

 

The shining hope of love and joy

Had drawn me far away

From God’s dear truth, His Love and grace

I found that I did stray

 

It seemed so innocent at first

I thought a gift from God

But then that gift consumed my heart

And on God’s word I trod

 

So, marching forward I did go

Ignoring all I knew

Of God, His Righteous just demands

Were what would get me through

 

And so, hell bent I ran away

Into the dark abyss

Where there I found such sorrow

That led to bitterness

 

For God had been the only one

Whose joy could fill my heart

To lift me high above the clouds

Oh, why did I depart

 

If I had waited, maybe then

I would not know such pain

For all my wretchedness and sin

The crimson bloody stain

 

And yet, God came to rescue me

He spread His wings so wide

That I might rest a little while

And in His love abide

 

I could not ever comprehend

The Grace He’s given me

That from this wilderness I formed

He came to set me free

 

He cut away the hardened scar

So, wrapped around my heart

That I might feel His warmth and love

Just as I did to start

 

Oh, lord I only ask of you

To hold me in your arms

That I might never stray again

Lured by such earthly charms

He Leads Us Out of The Wilderness

Even if you ran into the Wilderness in pursuit of pleasures you thought would satisfy, denying that God IS Enough, He will not forsake you there.  He loves you and all you need do is turn your eyes to Him once more.  There He will fill you with His joy, love, hope and peace until you realize He is your greatest treasure.  I know because He did for me although I was so undeserving of His grace.

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.

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How to be Carried Upon God’s Wings Once More

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©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.

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