Tag: hope

Poetry Sunday-LOVE HAS WON THE VICTORY

I do not know what pain or sorrow may fill your heart today.  What I do know is that this earthly journey often leads us to believe that love never wins.  Broken hearts, rejection, guilt, shame all brought about by a society that presses us to strive harder, be better, and condemns us for not “hitting the mark.”  We are performance driven and even within the Christian community too often, we measure people or judge people as though we are better.  I remember years of great trials, pain, suffering and fear when many Christians told me that it was my lack of faith or my sin that brought my trials.  They did not see my heart; but, God did.  I was saved by Grace Alone and every step of my life has been shaped by His Grace and love for me.  He has drawn me closer to Him every step of the way..  There were many steps along this journey when I believed that love could never win and joy could never win; yet, now I know it already had won.  God’s love had won at the cross.  Joy in Him was gained there at that cross.  In my earthly journey, did it win as well?  Now I have learned that, “Yes, Love has won the victory song and Joy has won”.   So, do not lose heart, dear pilgrims.  Keep your eyes focused on God and you will see that Love Has Won and Joy has won as well in Christ.

mountaintop-experiences-in-the-valley-ronald-barba

“28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”  (Matthew 11)

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE HAS WON THE VICTORY

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

As darkness filled the noon day sky

The earth shuddered and did quake

A trembling as God’s heart did break

As wrath and hate screamed crucify

Christ had come with heart full of love

Forgiveness for mankind to buy

Through all the tears He did must cry

Humbly He left His throne above

It would seem that all was then loss

Their pardon was His final plea

His Gift of Grace for all to see

He bowed and died upon that cross

The Father’s love, it was so great

Awake, my son, arise awake

He called Him forth a new dawn break

Pure Love had conquered death and hate


Chorus:

Love had won the victory

Joy rang forth a wondrous sound

Hope and life that did surround

Giving faith to all with eyes to see

So Open wide your eyes to see

That Love Has won the victory

 

My heart so filled with darkest fear

Shattered by evil, hate and pain

Falling torrential like the rain

Anguish filling my every tear

Through broken cracks God’s love shone in

He wrapped me tightly in His arms

And there so free from all life’s harms

Forgiveness, joy, and love did win


Chorus

Love had won the victory

Joy rang forth a wondrous sound

Hope and life that did surround

Giving faith to all with eyes to see

So Open wide your eyes to see

That Love Has won the victory

 

Don’t fall into some dark abyss

With pain and guilt that pull you down

Until you feel that you may drown

Look up to God, In Him is bliss


Chorus

Love has won the victory

Joy rings forth a wondrous sound

Hope and life they do surround

Giving faith to all with eyes to see

So Open wide your eyes to see

That Love Has won the victory

[bctt tweet=”So all you who are broken hearted, don’t lose hope. LOVE WINS”]

The artist that drew the picture “A Broken and Contrite Heart” featured on my header, “mountaintop experiences in the valley” 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.

Really, What Was So Amazing About How Jesus Spoke?

Really, What Was So Amazing About How Jesus Spoke?

Words are very powerful things. They can quicken a heart with joy or strike like a dagger leaving one to bleed. With our words we can give hope or plunge others deep into an abyss of despair. Sometimes, even when we are wanting to help; our words close the door on conversation by the manner in which we speak. On occasion, someone enters our life that knows just the right words to guide us. They have the unique ability to cause us to look deep within our own hearts and by doing so, they teach us how to find our way out of darkness and back into the light. These are the friends and teachers we hold dear to our hearts and remember always. We never forget those friends or sometimes strangers that God causes to cross our pathway with just the right word at the right time to guide our hearts to hope.

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men… 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth… 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1). Jesus came to earth to provide the only means to restore our fellowship with God. He was going to give His life that we might have life. Self-centered stony hearts would be transformed into overflowing rivers of life to reach others in need. Throughout His journey here on earth, He taught us how to live in this broken world. He showed us by example the need to constantly be in prayer and to study God’s words. He taught us by example how to accept rejection by others, how to forgive, and how to love those whom the world had cast aside as unlovely. During His ministry on earth, He taught us how to be beacons of light shining into the darkness. He showed us how to speak to those in need.

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Can My Life Really Be A Witness For God?

Can My Life Really Be A Witness For God?

So often, when I look back over my life; I see all the times that I have failed to love God as I should. I see my failures looming like giants and God’s grace as greater still. The other day I heard from someone out of my distant past, who said; “Because of you, I found Christ. You had such a tremendous impact on my life.” Now, what is more amazing, when I remember that time in my life; I realized that it was God’s Grace that allowed them to see Christ through whatever blurred picture I was displaying. Truly, I remember a bumbling, faltering testimony. A candle that barely flickered and a stream that had so little water trickling through it. Through the scars, cracks and crevices of my life the Holy Spirit shone forth and had touched another’s soul. That for me is such a humbling thought; that God would be so gracious as to use someone like me to do His work. So, if you ever thought that you are a poor witness for Christ or ever worried that your testimony would be more of a disgrace than benefit to God? God has promised to be the rivers of life flowing through your heart and mine for others to see His Glory and come to Christ. Why do I say that? rivers of life

 

JESUS PROMISE TO OVERFLOW OUR HEARTS WITH LIVING WATER

Remember that where we left off on Monday, Jesus had quietly gone up to the feast of the tabernacles and had been teaching in the synagogue every day. “37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit” (John 7 NKJV). Up until now in the book of John we have heard that Jesus has said that He is the living water, He is the bread of life and that He brings spiritual birth. He has presented this through His words and through the example of His miracles from changing the purifying water into wine to feeding the crowd. Now He takes this one step further by saying, “Not only will I be life to all who believe in me; but, I will fill them to the overflowing so they can spill over rivers of life to others.”

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5 Reasons Why the Pharisees Should Have Recognized Jesus

5 Reasons Why the Pharisees Should Have Recognized Jesus

The Pharisees were angry. How dare this man-Jesus heal people on the Sabbath!! Worse even, he tells the man to carry his bed. In their ritualistic carrying out of the law they had added many “traditions” of their own which included no medical practices on the Sabbath and no burden bearing. No one was to write anything on the Sabbath, carry a needle in their clothing, or put out a lamp. Then to add to this “breaking of their law”—He proclaimed to be the Son of God—equal in essence and nature to God. “How could that be?” they proclaimed. Calmly, confidently Jesus proceeds to tell them 5 reasons why they should have recognized Him as the long awaited Messiah. Why is that important for you and for me? As we look at these 5 reasons, let us remember that John very carefully chose what he was recording so as that we might see just enough of Jesus to desire Him, to know Him and to believe the truth unto life.

aiden,flower,God's glory

In this response of Jesus, we can see the 5 reasons why the Pharisees should have recognized Jesus and also the truths of why they did not. Is there any area of unbelief in your own heart as to who Jesus really is? Is there any area of unbelief in your own heart as to the majesty and power of Jesus? Do you doubt that “all things work together for good” in your life because Jesus, Your Savior came to purchase life eternal for you? Then my prayer is that you see His Glory and realize that in Him, you have all that you need.

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Why Is Embracing Change An Opportunity For Wondrous Growth?

Why Is Embracing Change An Opportunity For Wondrous Growth?

The past few months at work have been a struggle. Change is coming. We will be expanding and moving forward with more and even better care of our veterans in Cardiology. A new doctor has joined staff and we will be able to expand our services to include care that previously had to be sent out. I am excited. Although it has meant a lot of overtime in preparing the way, I embrace the challenge with faith, hope and excitement. Not the case with everyone. In fact, change is hard for some people. There are a few who meet my enthusiasm with fear, anger, and frustration. Those few place barriers and emotional obstacles along each step of the pathway. Change will come. We can choose to embrace it as an opportunity to grow or we can become miserable, angry people resisting it.

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The same is true in our Christian journey. [bctt tweet=”God is not willing to leave us where He found us lying in our own beds of self-righteousness.”] Change must come in our own hearts. We can either embrace the trials that are before us with joy as God’s gift of opportunities that are transforming us or we can become angry, frustrated and fearful. Either way, if we are God’s child and know Christ as our Savior; change will come. Change is a necessary part of our Christian growth. My heart can either rebel against becoming more Christ-like or embrace the trials as an opportunity to become like Christ in His suffering.

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