Effie Darlene Barba

The Great Pleasure of His Will

by Effie Darlene Barba

 

It was His Grace that Loved me so

In spite of all that He did know

About this heart blackened by sin

The Selfishness that lurks within

Despite all that He knew of me

He chose to die to set me free

He knew the price, yet paid it still

For the great pleasure of His will

That I might then become His Child

Although at times I seemed so wild

As His Beloved, Redeemed, and Blessed

He clothed me in His Righteousness

His Spirit sealed my destiny

As His throughout eternity

Empowering me with strength on high

That I might sound His battle cry

As mighty warrior for His sake

My prideful heart He had to break

That I might bow beneath my cross

And count all else but Him as loss

That as I gaze upon His Face

His depth of love, His Awesome Grace

I see His Glory shining bright

Beacon of hope, my guiding light

So, filled with joy, I lift my voice

With song of praise, I make my choice

To be a servant to my Lord

Embrace His Will with one Accord

Whatever else, He asks of me

I bow now humbly on my knee

The Great Pleasure of His Will Concluding Thoughts

It was only by Grace that God called my name.  When I fully recognize that truth, then my heart surrenders to His Will as my Lord.  I don’t have to always understand.  Instead I submit to His Will.  I trust Him completely.  And I Obey.

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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

If I in Silence Do Dismiss  (A Poem)

But for God, the Sorrows that Abound- a poem

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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 Richard Ciraulo on Unsplash

It should have come as no surprise to Peter that the message of salvation was to be spread to all the world; but, it did at first.  The earliest church was in Jerusalem and was made up of Jewish believers.  After all, steeped in tradition, no Jew was to commune with the gentiles.  They were unclean; by Jewish law and tradition.  True God had called out His people to be separate from the world, so as not to participate in idolatrous or lascivious lifestyles.  However, the sad reality was that the Jewish nation often in the Old Testament took on the idolatrous and lascivious lifestyles; while at the same time rejecting the people.  Or, as was the case of King Solomon, he married Gentile women for political reasons; but, allowed them to continue in their idolatrous rituals, never witnessing to them of the truth of Jehovah God.

That had never been God’s plan.  He had called them to Himself to be separate from the sin filled lifestyles while becoming the light of hope to all the world.  In Isaiah 60, God speaking to His people commanded them to rise and shine.

            Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:1-4)

The Message

Continue reading “The Message Expands to the Gentile Nation. How?”

As soon as Paul knew the truth of the gospel message, he felt an urgency to spread the truth.  It was with an even greater urgency than he had felt when persecuting the Christian church.  There was an immediacy about all that he did. However, with all the immediacy, he also listened very closely to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in all that he did.  As we noted last time, he did spend 3 years of intense training by God in Nabatean Arabia, further preparing him to be the missionary to the gentile nation that he became.  Yet, from the moment he first believed, he felt the urgency to spread the truth of the gospel wherever he went.  Paul taught told everyone about Jesus Christ.

He never minced words, rather declaring that Jesus was the true Messiah, the Son of God, who came, died on a cross to pay the sin debt for all, and rose again on the third day. Then, he would proclaim the truth that no one could come to the Father apart from believing in Jesus Christ.  Only those who would believe in Jesus, accepting Him as Lord and Savior could be saved.  This truth caused Paul to feel an urgency because all who did not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior would never enter heaven.  All who died without Christ would face an eternity in hell, separated from God.  No matter how pious a life they had lived.  Boldly, Paul went about teaching this truth and for that many wanted him dead.  The persecutor of Christians became the persecuted Christian.

So, they  lowered him in a basket outside the wall of Damascus so he could go to Jerusalem where he longed to meet the apostles.

THE URGENCY TO SPREAD THE TRUTH

Continue reading “Do You Feel the Urgency to Spread the Truth?”

Certainly, the conversion of Saul to Paul presented one transformed life that changed the world.  So, dramatic was his transformation!  But shouldn’t knowing Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord be just as dramatic a transformation in my life as well?  A transformed life should be displayed in all that I do or say! Yet, does it.  Do I allow selfish or prideful ideas to squelch the power of the Holy Spirit?  Allowing the worries, fears or cares of this world to push aside the flaming fires of faith that are truly mine because of all that Jesus did for me?  He died on the cross that I might be freed from the powers off sin in my life.  Then, He sent the Holy Spirit to reside in me to guide me and to comfort me, reminding me of all His promises to me.

Yet, how quickly do I or we allow our hearts to be pulled aside and our minds to be distracted.  Immediately, Saul bowed to the Lordship of Christ there on the road to Damascus saying, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).  The number one persecutor of the early church would embrace Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, preaching fervently the gospel message he had intended to eradicate!

One Transformed Life

Continue reading “One Transformed Life That Changed the World”

Will you do whatever God says? No matter what?  That was the question that lay before Ananias and it is the question that lays before each of us, every day.  Acts 9 tells us of a time when God asked Ananias to be an instrument in the salvation of Saul.

¹⁰ There was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias. To him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. Ananias said, “Behold, I am here, Lord.”

¹¹ And the Lord said unto him, “Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight.  Enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth.

¹² And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

¹³ Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

¹⁴ And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said unto him, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.

¹⁶ For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

¹⁷ Ananias went his way, entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales. He received sight forthwith, arose, and was baptized.

Will You Do Whatever God Says, No Matter What?

Continue reading “Will You Do Whatever God Says, No Matter What?”