Tag: God’s Glory

One Way of Salvation and only One way, which is God and God Alone

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10 NKJV

        Throughout the previous studies in I Kings, we watched as God spoke to the people through Elijah.  He declared that God and God Alone was Sovereign.  All their vain idols were merely impotent ideologies of their own imaginations.  Desperately they desired to believe these idols were real.  After all they promoted sexual deprivation and promised freedom. Yet, their demands of child sacrifice and utter devotion brought bondage and suffering instead of the freedoms promised.  Repeatedly Elijah demonstrated that only God and God Alone had the power to save.  There was only one way of Salvation and that was complete devotion to God.  Today, we face the same ideologues desiring to say there are many ways of Salvation.  Christianity must be all inclusive or not at all, ignoring the truth that Israel’s destruction came from being all inclusive of false religious practices. 

        After Elijah stood on Mount Carmel alone against the 800 prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth, one might think people would have abandoned these false idealogues.  But they did not.  God and God alone had sent a blazing fire to burn the water drenched sacrifice.  The others had tried everything. And their sacrifice wasn’t even wet.  But their imaginary gods had failed.  Much as we watch the idealogues march forward with their plans today, despite their policies pushing toward the destruction of so many nations through famine, poverty, and death.  The farther they run from the truth of God the more devastating the resultant disasters.  Ignoring the truth that there is only one way of salvation and that is through God and God Alone.

God’s Grace Displayed

        God allowed his prophet to run away and even to fall into a momentary depression.  However, God’s plan was to reset and redirect His prophet to a different task.  Elijah needed to know that because of God’s great love and grace, humans would always have choice.  Never did God force them to follow Him.  Afterall, without choice, there is no true love, worship or devotion.  Still in His Sovereignty God Alone could transform a broken sin filled heart.  Both are true, equally even when my finite brain, locked within this time/space continuum doesn’t understand fully how.  One day when I stand before Him, then I will know fully. 

        Once recommissioned, Elijah marched forth to the next tasks at hand.  He was to call Elisha to be his understudy and designate the future King of Syria. 

A Grave Error- Doing It Any Other Way But God’s Way

        Meanwhile, King Ahab died just as Elijah foretold.  God’s grace so great, He had given King Ahab a chance to repent.  When he humbled himself before God, King Ahab was given a chance to win against the Syrian King Ben-Haddad. However, God instructed him to kill the Syrian King and he did not.  Using God only to win is not true devotion to God.  Although many proclaim to be Christian, not all are.  Some are only seeking the gifts, but not the Giver of Gifts.   Hence God sent a prophet, disguised as an injured soldier to speak to King Ahab.

““This is what the Lord has said: ‘Because you released a man I had determined should die, you will pay with your life, and your people will suffer instead of his people.’”[bg] 43 The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry.1 Kings 20 (NET)

God Alone Can Heal

After Ahab died,…2 Ahaziah fell through a window lattice … and was injured. He sent messengers with these orders,[b] “Go, ask[c] Baal Zebub,[d] the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.” 3 But the angel of the Lord told Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up; go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron.[e] 4 Therefore this is what the Lord has said, “You will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die!” So Elijah went on his way.  2 Kings 1: (NET).

Three times the King sent a captain with 50 soldiers to retrieve Elijah.  Of course, since he was sending soldiers, one can only imagine his plan was not to entreat Elijah to dinner with him.  The first two times the captains commanded “Elijah, O Man of God” to go.  Both times Elijah said,

“If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.   2 Kings 1:10 (NKJV)

One Way of Salvation-God Alone

The third captain pleaded with him not to kill him.  This time an angel told Elijah to go unafraid.  Elijah went and told the King.

“This is what the Lord has said, ‘You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. Is it because there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek a message? Therefore[ah] you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’”[ai]  2 King1 (NET).

And the King died.

God Alone Declares the Way

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on[a] raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She [b]waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” 2 KINGS (NKJV)

When Pride Wants Another Way

Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood in the doorway of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent out a messenger who told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored[l] and you will be healed.” 11 Naaman went away angry. He said, “Look, I thought for sure he would come out, stand there, invoke the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the area, and cure the skin disease.

12 The rivers of Damascus, the Abana and Pharpar, are better than any of the waters of Israel![m] Could I not wash in them and be healed?” So he turned around and went away angry. 13 His servants approached and said to him,[n] “O master,[o] if the prophet had told you to do some difficult task,[p] you would have been willing to do it.[q] It seems you should be happy that he simply said, ‘Wash and you will be healed.’[r] 14 So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the prophet had instructed.[s] His skin became as smooth as a young child’s[t] and he was healed. 2 Kings NET

Concluding Thoughts

As we see here, it is not only God Alone, but also God’s Way alone.  Too often we here today many saying it does not matter.  Yet, Jesus said,

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14

God provided one way of salvation through the death of His son on a cruel cross to pay the full weight of our penalty of death. Why would He have done that if there were any other way?

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4 (NKJV).

There is only one way of Salvation and that is by accepting Jesus Christ and Lord and Savior by repenting of your sin and following Him.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. 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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When Depression Overwhelms Your Heart.  Where Can You find Hope?
How to Really Experience a Faith Evidencing Truth Beyond Sight

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, 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

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

3 Truths That Will Catapult Your Life into Joyous Victory

Jesus Christ “his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Hebrews 1:2-3

As I go about my days along this life journey, why is it so important that I recognize the magnificence and glory of Jesus as King, seated upon His throne? How would that change my view of life’s struggles? How can that affect my relationships with friends, co-workers, and family? My life is filled with dreams, desires, decisions, work, and activities. We must constantly think about our health, our car, our house, our finances, our relationships, and our jobs. Even when it comes to our faith, we fill our lives with the “activities”; yet, in all that do we truly stop to realize the importance of seeing Jesus upon His throne.

Christ Holds together

The writer of Hebrews wants us to realize that Jesus is already the King. He is the obedient son who died upon a cross at His Father’s bidding; yet, He is also the express image of the Father and the bright radiance of His Glory. Not only was Jesus the humble sacrificial lamb who died to save the world; but, Jesus is also the one through whom the Father spoke the world into being and the one who holds everything in place by the word of His power. This is the same truth that John expressed when he wrote,

Continue reading “3 Truths That Will Catapult Your Life into Joyous Victory”

Can I Look in The Mirror and Still Feel Loved?

 

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. Psalm 108:3-6

As I sat and stared at an empty page this morning, I prayed. Prayer is my only hope. From the time I post the previous post to the moment I begin the next, my mind is prayerfully searching to know where to turn and what to write. That is sometimes easier when I am doing a series through any book of the Bible; because, then I must focus on God’s word and from that wait for God to guide my understanding through commentaries, prayerful searching and even listening to sermons. Certainly, at work I must focus on work; yet, as I walk the halls between tasks, I sometimes hear a word, a thought that inspires my understanding of the scripture at hand. That is Grace.

photo-1458724338480-79bc7a8352e4 (1)

When I finished the series on the gospel of John in mid-February, I felt compelled to begin a series about love. Before I started the series, I questioned God in earnest as to why this series. Yet, the longer I questioned; the stronger the conviction came. As I have opened up to each of you all my own failures along this road toward discovering the truth of love, I have at times felt very vulnerable and very frail. As always, God has been faithful to reveal to this weary heart His Grace each step of the way. Along this journey of writing the story of my life, God has revealed to me truths about me as well. Truths as shunned to know as I have been forced to look deep into the mirror of my own life, my own heart. When there was a time it would have been easier to just blame Miguel, Pete, Terry or even Mom for their role in breaking my heart; now, I couldn’t.

Continue reading “Can I Look in The Mirror and Still Feel Loved?”

How Can Suffering Be The Path To Exuberant Joy?

How Can Suffering Be The Path To Exuberant Joy?

The Bible speaks a lot about Joy—true joy that is found in Christ (Romans 5:11), a joy that will never leave us (Isaiah 35:10) and joy overflowing (John 16: 22, 24). We want that!! Yet, what we sometimes don’t realize is that often it is found through suffering, sorrow and many trials. Our human hearts are born filled with sin. We want to seek happiness and to do it “our way”. Even for those of us who truly seek after Christ as our joy, we fight against the truth that many times our journey to understanding and experiencing real Joy in Christ leads us through great trials, pain and suffering.

FIERY PATH

As a young Christian, I searched to follow Jesus. Little did I know that my journey would lead me through failure, divorce, abuse, cancer, illness, widowhood, single motherhood, financial disaster, pains, sorrows, loneliness, and so many surgeries! Every step of the journey, God was using to transform my heart. He had to deal with my pride, my selfish desires, my self-exaltation, and my desire to prove to Him that I was worthy of the salvation He had so freely died to give me. I could not truly understand that my Joy was in Him alone; until He swept away all the cobwebs hidden in the deep recesses of my heart. He continues to do that every single day of my life. He continues to reveal those dark areas so that they might be cleansed. As He does that, my view of everything changes. He is able to then fill those corners with a vision of His Glory. As I am able to see His Glory clearer, my heart enlarges to be filled with His Love and His Joy. It is an ever upward and transforming change.

Continue reading “How Can Suffering Be The Path To Exuberant Joy?”

How to Become a Hero When You Really Want To Run

How to Become a Hero When You Really Want To Run

Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus was preparing the apostles to be the men who would be the leaders of the church. They would be tasked with spreading the good news of the gospel. He was preparing a group of men and women who would be the first followers of Christ—the earliest Church. They would face opposition, trials, and great distress as they went about the task of spreading the good news of the resurrection of Christ. Indeed, they would lose their lives for their commitment to bringing the truth of salvation to the world. Often, we look at the early church and see all these people as “larger than life” heroes who must have been supermen and women to start with. Yet, the truth is—they weren’t any different than you or I. They were simple people. Many were uneducated laborers. They were fearful, full of doubts, and slow to learn faith. Jesus had three years to transform this bunch of misfits into the heroes they would become. How did He do that? What can you and I learn from their journey?

hunter

 

 

 

Can God really make me a hero?  How?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

picture used by permission of Ronald Barba,  all copyrights are his.


In chapter 11 of John we are shown a glimpse of Jesus teaching His apostles about faith and revealing to them a glimpse of God’s Glory. There is no hope for salvation without first seeing a glimpse of God’s glory and desiring it above all else. Jesus needed for these followers to see the Father’s Glory as revealed in the Son. Only then, could their own lives

 

be transformed to display God’s Glory to the world. Even though God’s Glory surrounds us every day in the beauty of the creation, in the miracles of life, in the moments of grace that pass through our lives and the random acts of kindness we face; yet, we too often close our eyes to their display. We need to have our eyes open to see His Glory. We need to understand the greatness of His power toward us. My desire for me and for you is “17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1). This is what Jesus needed these followers to also understand before He went to the cross. He needed to prepare them for what was to come.

JESUS PURPOSEFULLY TARRIED IN HIS ARRIVAL

So, when Jesus heard of Lazarus’ illness; he waited. We looked at the reasons He waited in Monday’s post. We know that He waited because He loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus so much that He wanted to display God’s Glory with such power that they would not ever need to fear again. He wanted to show them what real joy could be found through faith. He wanted them to know the truth in their heart of hearts, not merely in their mind. He wanted the same for His apostles and many who would believe as a result of the miracle He was about to perform.

A GRUMBLING GROUP OF COWARDLY FOLLOWERS

When Jesus then turned to the apostles and said, “Let us go into Judaea again” (John 11:7). Of course, we expect the apostles quickly said, “Yes, Lord where ever you want us to go we are willing to follow.” Right? No, that wasn’t what happened. Instead much like you and I do too often, they presented an argument against the idea. Listen to their response in John 11:8. “His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” In other words, “Really Jesus? Don’t you remember they tried to stone you? You want to go there?” They were not wanting to face those “stone throwers” again. After all they might get hit with stones as well.

JESUS RESPONDS

So, Jesus responds with, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him” (John 11:9-10). That would clear everything up, right? Or do you think they stood there scratching their heads much like we do to that response? Jesus had already told them that He was the light of the world. As long as they are with Him, they have the light and cannot stumble. He is all they need where ever they might go. The same is true for us. So the first step to becoming a hero when we want to run is to recognize that He is with us every step of this journey. He will light our path. In Him, we will never walk in darkness.

COWARD’S OBJECTION #2:

So, then Jesus tells them that Lazarus is sleeping and He must go to awaken Him from the sleep. To this they responded, “Well, if he is sleeping; he must be doing well; so why should we go? Shouldn’t we just let him sleep?” They were rationalizing why not to go—still being frightened by the “stones” they might meet. Don’t we do the same in reference to those who are “sleeping their unbelief?” We rationalize that we shouldn’t try to reach those whom we meet along the street. After all shouldn’t we only witness to those who come to the church? Shouldn’t we reserve our testimony for those who want to hear? Let them stay in their state of spiritual sleep!! It is safer that way. Jesus reply, “Lazarus is dead.” Here the truth comes forth, “those who are asleep spiritually are actually dead spiritually.” Unless we go to awaken them, they will remain eternally dead. So, step 2 to becoming a hero when we want to run: Recognize the cost of our running may be the eternity of a soul. What is the value of one person’s eternal soul? Of everything else that we think is valuable to us on earth, isn’t the salvation of one person’s eternity of greater value? This entire life is but a blink of an eye compared to eternity.

COWARD’S OBJECTION #3

Then Thomas says to the other apostles, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). Ok, Jesus, we will go and face our death because you say go; but, why should we just go and die when he is dead already. Have you ever sounded that way? “Ok, God. I am doing what you said; but I really think this is a bad idea!” I would expect that all of us have at some time. I know I have at times pouted as I faced whatever God had asked of me. Only, afterward was I able to see the magnificent Glorious Miracle of God in the midst of what I had thought was hopeless. That is exactly what happened here. Jesus called forth Lazarus from the dead—He displayed God’s Glory to all who were present. Even those who had reluctantly followed were a part of this magnificent display of God’s splendor and glory. Step #3: Recognize that God will display His Glory in us, through us, and surrounding us in the midst of our most difficult circumstances; because of His love for us. This is true even when we reluctantly follow like the apostles did in this case.  When we run we only run away from realizing His joy and hence we head straight into miserable.  

So how do we become heroes when we want to run? We rely on the only one who is our light, our hope and our truth. He will accomplish His work in us and through us. He will display for us His Glory with such magnitude step by step until we too will one day stand like heroes instead of running away with excuses.

The song I chose for you today is:  We have seen God’s Glory by Steve Green.  As you listen closely, realize that as we see His Glory we will display that Glory—step by step we too are transformed into the image of Christ.  “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 3:18).

The artist that drew the picture “A Broken and Contrite Heart” featured on my header, the picture used today and  who designed my logo is Ronald Barba.   Feel free to email me at Artedabarba@gmail.com or purchase his art at http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/ronald+barba/all

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.