Tag: forgiveness

How to Boldly Stand Firm in the Gospel with Love

How to Boldly Stand Firm in the Gospel with Love

There was so much to teach and time was running short. Jesus would be betrayed by Judas within a few hours and He would be going to the cross to complete the Father’s command. He was the Messiah that they had so long awaited; yet, the priests and scholars did not recognize Him. So caught within their own prideful hearts they wanted someone who outwardly appeared more “kingly” by their definitions. They did not want some humble, loving Prince who questioned their authority. They were so wrapped in their own traditions and hunger for power and money that they could not see the truth. They did not really know God despite all the years of studying the scripture. “Remember, my dear friends;” Jesus spoke as He walked toward the Garden, “the world will hate you. It has hated me and because I have chosen you, it will hate you as well.” He continues this conversation from John 15:18 through John 16:3. Indeed, “2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.” (John 16, NIV)

“Don’t let your heart be troubled, you will be hated and probably killed for knowing me as your Savior; but, remember this, they hated me.” Not the words of comfort we want to hear in our comfortable homes here in the United States. If we keep silent, maybe no one will notice that we are Christians!  Yet, if I keep silent as to my faith; then, am I really a follower of Christ? We have heard the stories of Christians being beheaded in the Middle East. We have heard the stories of Christians being targeted, like the Oregon College Shooter who determined his victims by asking them whether they were a Christian. The early church faced imprisonment and execution because they named the name of Christ. Down through the ages of the church there were true followers of Christ who stood up against the “church’s prideful leaders”  These brave preachers of the gospel faced imprisonment, exile and even death by the established church for speaking the truth of Grace.

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Poetry Sunday—The Grace in Which I Stand

The Grace in Which I Stand

Do you ever awaken some mornings and suddenly you feel the crushing weight of all your own unworthiness before God?  You look at your own failures and they loom before you, overshadowing and clouding all of who you are.  Those thoughts cause your hope to crash down around you, like thousands of pieces of fine crystal scattered at your feet.  You fear that if you step forward the pieces of glass will cut your bare feet into shreds; yet, you know the truth is God sent His Son to bleed and die to cover all your sins.  God did not leave Him there.  Indeed, Christ rose up from the dead and broke the chains of hell, death, and damnation forever to all who believe in Him.

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In 2010, I wrote a book entitled “A Broken and Contrite Heart” that pleads God’s response to His children when they are faced with their own failures and sins.  There is nothing in my life that ever took God by surprise.  When He chose me He knew every time I would fail Him.  Neither does He wish I stay there grappling in the muddy mire.  Instead, He reaches forth His mighty hand to pull me out and as I cry forth, “How can you still love me after all the times I have failed you and this heart which can never fully love you as it should?”  His response, “Sin, child I do not see any sin—(as He looks through the blood of Christ which covers me).  “Come, child there is work to be done”  as He removes the last bit of mud off of my feet.  That is Grace, my dear friends—the same grace that David and Peter so richly proclaimed.  Each chapter of the book-“A Broken and Contrite Heart” ended with a poem-written by me and for me.  Today I needed to return and read what I wrote then as the final poem of the book—a reminder of who I am in Christ.

The Grace in Which I Stand

 

Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold

Where is the faith to make you bold

 

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

To follow Him in liberty

 

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

 

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

 

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So for His work my passion warmed

So for His work my passion warmed

 

So in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.

[bctt tweet=”Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul Where is the hope on which you hold”]

It is in His power and might that I continue to battle against sin and though I may not win every battle, I know the victory is mine–Jesus won the victory.  I may not yet, but one day I will one look like Jesus.  It is that truth that gives me hope once more and causes me to rise up above the ashes of my life to stand boldly filled with hope and His Joy.

 

From my Book, A Broken and Contrite Heart published 2010.

[Available at http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000465106/A-Broken-and-Contrite-Heart.aspx

And if you still don’t understand, please watch this video of the incredible hymn “Upon the Throne of God” with excerpts from the movie about Martin Luther included.

 

© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba

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

Why Are We So Quick To Stone Someone’s Life?

Why Are We So Quick To Stone Someone’s Life?

I was 25 when my husband first moved us to Mexico. For me it was a new language and a new culture to learn. I did not realize that because of many of our movies and TV shows, the upper class had some preconceived ideas of we from North of the border. Over the years, I learned to dearly love the Mexican people as I saw their persevering hearts, courage, and their grateful attitudes. But, let’s go back to the beginning. As a young, blonde American girl with a limited Spanish vocabulary; I found I was accepted well among those in the market, the corner store and the taco stand. However, the socially elite women shunned me. They would grab their husband’s arms if anyone tried to introduce me to them.   Which leads me to our story.

When I Remember

 

 

 

 

One night, my husband wanted me to join him with his friends. We left his mother to watch the baby and with some hesitance of heart I went. As the evening went on, my husband had consumed a little too much alcohol. I understood very little of the conversations surrounding me as we had ended up on the balcony of a small restaurant. The balcony was narrow with only one set of stairs to leave by and we were near the back, farthest from the exit. Two tables from us were a group of men who were smoking. Since there was no ashtray on their table they were flicking their cigarettes onto the carpet. I watched as the embers would fall and even slightly flame before dying out. Disgusted and a little concerned we might be trapped behind a wall of blaze; I picked up an ashtray and sat it on their table. Then I turned around to return to my seat when suddenly my husband seemed enraged. He ordered me angrily to leave immediately. Confused, in high heels I found myself walking all alone down the dark streets of Pachuca at midnight.

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Poetry Sunday-In Christ, I am God’s own Beloved

 

David had sinned.  He was the King chosen by God—a man after the heart of God; yet, he had been tempted and failed. Trying to cover up that sin, he called Uriah home in hopes that Uriah would sleep with his wife and be fooled into believing that the baby she carried was his.  But Uriah was a noble man and would not sleep in comfort or with his wife while his comrades were still in battle.  So, as King; David sent Uriah into the front lines where he would certainly be killed.  David would then take Bathsheba to be his wife and all would think him a gracious King.  Grave sins, yes.  David fell before God with a broken, contrite heart as we read Psalm 51 which is David’s prayer of repentance.  Yet, the world continued to whisper about him and push him to moments of despair as we read in Psalm 69 where he says, “Reproach hath broken my heart: and I am full of heaviness:  I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.”    Still, God heard his cry.    Look at verses 29-32: “But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. …The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God”.  What?  The humble will see God’s mercy and grace toward his repentant child and will be glad.  The humble will rejoice that God’s grace has restored someone.  

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We shutter and think that “I WOULD NEVER” fail God so badly as David did.  We quantify sin, as though one is greater than another and we measure ourselves as better than others.  A human state of pride; as though lifting ourselves up or condemning others lessons the darkness there within our own self-exalting, pride-filled hearts.  I learned a lot when I worked in the jail ministry.  A lot about my own heart as well.  How many times should I forgive and continue to reach out to help?  Did Christ ever give up on me?  Christ was criticized because He reached out for the sick, the sinners, the demon possessed, and the lowest among the people.  We must humbly seek to help a brother that has fallen—to reach out a hand of kindness and forgiveness.  Perhaps it is our hand that God will use to guide them.  We must not set ourselves up as judge; rather, try to see their heart and display the same grace and mercy we have been given.  This poem I write for anyone that has stumbled and fallen.  I write this poem also as a reminder that our duty as Christians is not to be judge; rather to be the hand of Christ to help a fallen brother or sister in Christ. 

 

In Christ, I am God’s own Beloved

By Effie Darlene Barba


Accused, Condemned in eyes of men

Rejected, hated for my sin

No one stopped to see my heart

Cast aside some broken part

That no one cared to see inside

The scars and sorrows that abide

A heart so filled with hopes and dreams

Of meadows green and crystal streams

Lay shattered, broken cast away

With nothing good or kind to say


Chorus

Then God’s Dear Grace that loved me so

Looked deep within and bid to know

Each crevice of my heart and soul

Each broken piece to then make whole

In Christ I am set free from sin

My guilt and shame all taken in

And bore upon that rugged cross

My strength to stand though all else loss

My sins all covered by His blood

In Christ, I am God’s own Beloved


How quickly men’s own selfish pride

Does cast away and cast aside

A fallen one—a broken heart

Who needs your hand to help them start!

Christ had come to heal the lame

To lift their guilt and take their shame

He called the sinners to His side

To know His love-in Him abide

So why do we not give our hand

To help a fallen one to stand

So, prideful man with heart so small

Be careful lest you too shall fall


Chorus

For it was God’s dear Grace that loved me so

Looked deep within and bid to know

Each crevice of my heart and soul

Each broken piece to then make whole

In Christ I am set free from sin

My guilt and shame all taken in

And bore upon that rugged cross

My strength to stand though all else loss

My sins all covered by His blood

In Christ, I am God’s own Beloved

The artist that drew the picture “A Broken and Contrite Heart” featured on my header, the portrait used today, and  who designed my logo is Ronald Barba.   To obtain your own portrait, logo, or art design please contact Ronald Barba at the email below.    If you can dream it, he can draw or design it for you.  Do you want to surprise someone with an extraordinary special gift of a personal portrait?  An idea for a book cover?  Or a new logo?  Feel free to email him at Artedabarba@gmail.com   to discuss any art projects.

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.  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.

7 Steps to an Unconditionally Joyous Heart-Absolutely Free

7 Steps to an Unconditionally Joyous Heart-Absolutely Free

In September of 2013, I was accused falsely of having committed a “crime “against the company where I had faithfully served for 10 years. The so called crime had been invested for 9 months unbeknownst to me.  It, without my knowledge, had been discussed at every board meeting from January until September. I had not done anything wrong, nor thought of doing anything wrong; so indeed, the news of this had been a shock to me.   When all the dust had settled, I was cleared of any wrong.  What was obvious to me that one power hungry medical assistant had been the catalyst. The events actually lead to my placing my resignation exactly at God’s timing for me to make the move He had already ordained. Although, in September; I understood what God was doing. I, even told my boss, “All of this was God’s hand at work. God had whispered that I should be leaving for Missouri. He blinded your eyes to the truth, so that the whisper would become a shout. I have to go. Something I would have resisted because of my devotion to this company. You have been like a brother to me all these years; but, I have to leave.” Understanding the truth that God ordained everything should have meant the incident was over in my own heart and mind, right?  Yes, it should have.  However, in my heart I was angry and hurt.  The anger, the resentment toward my accuser, and the pain should have been gone. But it wasn’t for quite some time.

me and Pete

[bctt tweet=”Knowing that God’s Sovereign will controls every detail of my life should create Joy. “] For that moment in my life, it didn’t. You see, there was still that darkness within my own heart.

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