I have had conversations with people in the past that try to convince me that Jesus came for this reason or that reason and often they are taking a Bible verse out of context or getting ideas expressed in the Bible mixed up. Some have told me that Jesus came to take care of the poor. Some have said that He came simply to spread love. Some have even said that He came just to do away with the law and the Old Testament. That one is funny to me because Jesus often quoted the OT.
I'm going to show what the Bible says (and most of these are straight from the mouth of Jesus!) about why He came.
He came to...
1. FULFILL the law - Matthew 5:17
2. Minister & give His life as a ransom - Matt. 20:28
3. Preach the Kingdom of God - Luke 4:43
4. Cause division - Luke 12:51
5. Seek & save the Lost - Luke 19:10
6. Save the world - John 3:17
7. For judgement - John 9:39
8. Give abundant life - John 10:10
9. Bear witness of the truth - John 18:37
10. Save sinners - 1 Timothy 1:15
All these are reasons for why Jesus came to earth. It was not just for us to have a personal relationship with Him. The main reason He came was to reconcile us back to God! Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with God in the garden of Eden until they disobeyed God's command. Because of that disobedience, punishment was set ... Eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. Adam & Eve sinned and because of that, all have a sin nature. Yet, God loved the world so much that He sent His son Jesus (and Jesus willingly went out of obedience & love!) to pay a sin debt that every person owes to God.
Jesus came, suffered and died, was buried and rose again the third day. He died to pay that debt of sin we owe but he rose again to conquer death for us. His main purpose in coming was to reconcile us back to God! Without trusting in the work Jesus did, there is no salvation. There is only eternal separation from God in a fiery place of torment. The punishment was set for disobedience back when Satan rebelled against God and took a third of the angels with him. It tells us in Matthew 25:41 that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Disobedience (sin against God's Word) has a punishment.
Reconcile means to restore to friendship or harmony.
These verses talk about Jesus coming to reconcile us back to God...
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Colossians 1:19-20
Hebrews 2:17
Ultimately the reason to accept Jesus as your Savior is to get to have a relationship with God forever more, along with not suffering for an eternity in hell.
March 28, 2018
March 23, 2018
Heat & Pressure is a Good Thing
Have you noticed that when you are going through a difficult time, all you can think about is that you want it over with? I know that is what I think and even pray for. Fiery trials and pressures are hard on us, aren't they? Let's look at three different aspects of things that are improved by heat and pressure.
Gold! Gold is created first by melting down the metal to a liquid form. Then a worker adds Borax and soda ash which causes the pure gold to separate from the other metals. Heat is the first step to making pure gold. God often uses fiery trials to purify us. The next step removes the things from the gold that is harmful or impure. God sometimes uses circumstances to remove harmful or unnecessary things from our lives.
To have a piece of pottery that is usable, soft clay is formed into the shape intended and then put into a fiery kiln to harden the clay. It would not be usable if it were not hardened. Sometimes when God uses trials to form us and make us useful for His Kingdom, it is difficult to experience but we can endure if we keep in mind that God has a purpose. If the heat wasn't applied to the soft clay, bowls, vases, pitchers, etc. would never be able to be used by us for their intended purpose.
Diamonds are some of the most precious stones in existence. They are the most common used stone for wedding and engagement rings...the stones used in the jewelry to represent lasting love. These precious stones can only be created by carbon being heated to a very high heat while also being put under very intense pressure. God uses fiery trials and sometimes extreme pressure to form us into something precious to Him that can represent His everlasting love.
Maybe the extreme pressure you are under is a very demanding job or situation where decisions are needed in high stress circumstances. Maybe the fiery trial may be a job loss, a broke down car or appliance, or a health crisis. Whatever the pressure or heated situation, keep in mind that God is allowing it or orchestrating it for your own good...to bring you closer to Him, to form you into what He approves of, or to make you more useful to Him.
Maybe the extreme pressure you are under is a very demanding job or situation where decisions are needed in high stress circumstances. Maybe the fiery trial may be a job loss, a broke down car or appliance, or a health crisis. Whatever the pressure or heated situation, keep in mind that God is allowing it or orchestrating it for your own good...to bring you closer to Him, to form you into what He approves of, or to make you more useful to Him.
March 12, 2018
Individual Cheesecakes
This is my motherinlaw's recipe... It is naturally gluten free and they are soooo good.
Preheat oven to 300
3 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese (softened)
1 c. Sugar
5 Eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each. Add vanilla.
Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill each 2/3 full and bake for 40 mins. No more! They should rise but not brown. Remove sooner if they start to brown. Allow to cool but keep oven on. Cakes will create a concave area.
Filling:
1 c. Sour Cream
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. vanilla
Mix together with spoon. Put some in each concave area of cakes. Bake 5 min more. Cool completely and keep refrigerated.
These are not too sweet and delicious!
Preheat oven to 300
3 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese (softened)
1 c. Sugar
5 Eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each. Add vanilla.
Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill each 2/3 full and bake for 40 mins. No more! They should rise but not brown. Remove sooner if they start to brown. Allow to cool but keep oven on. Cakes will create a concave area.
Filling:
1 c. Sour Cream
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. vanilla
Mix together with spoon. Put some in each concave area of cakes. Bake 5 min more. Cool completely and keep refrigerated.
These are not too sweet and delicious!
March 10, 2018
What's in a Holiday?
Been contemplating some things about holidays and "honoring" days and did you know that nearly every day of the year is a "National...something...Day"?! It may be national ice cream day or french fry day or bacon day or international women's day ... really? I get some of the holidays...Christmas, Easter, 4th of July or Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, possibly even Labor Day but there are some that I don't get. Even most of the ones I already mentioned are mostly used by the world as an excuse to get drunk. Sometimes I think the government recognized holidays are just an excuse to take a day off work. I'm all for that! When I was a kid we got Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays off but when my kids were in school they combined them into President's Day and now Martin Luther King Day is added in.
The one I have been thinking about is coming in May. You guessed...Mother's Day. Ha, I bet you thought it was going to be Memorial Day. It is a day the government appointed to set aside to honor mothers everywhere. In fact, men are encouraged to honor their mothers and their wife who is the mother of their children. So, that's kind of a double whammy. The same goes when Father's Day comes around in June for the women. I get it. Just like Valentine's Day is supposed to be a special day for couples that gets recognized even though it's really just a money maker for stores and the couples should be treating each other right, special and with respect on a daily basis but on February 14th we are to step it up a notch and spend money so the stores can make a profit. Can you hear my sarcasm?!
The Bible tells us in the Ten Commandments to honor our father and our mother....this means daily. This means all the time! And, as we taught my kids and as Bob and I taught to teens as youth pastor, it means honor goes beyond obedience. Obedience is when you still live at home under parent's roof. Honor is a life time commitment. Honor is what happens as a result of your character that reflects positively back to the parents! It's also what happens when the parent is not present with the child. Most kids can act correctly when authority is around (MOST!) but when a child does right when they think no one is watching...that's the true test.
I was reminded this past week about the real way my kids honor me. I was reminded when my son called to talk. It is not always by them remembering to send a card or call on Mother's Day, because truthfully, sometimes life gets busy and they forget to send a card or call. Sundays are very busy (which is the day the government chose to pick for honoring parents...you know the day most have off anyway...including them!..except those in ministry or heavily committed to helping around the church). Some Sundays even a phone call would be rushed. I'm actually ok with that even though I know when those times have happened my kids feel awful about it.
Here's what I know for sure...they honor me often. They are praised to me by others. This reflects what Bob and I taught them. They call me for advice on a regular basis. They call me when they need to vent out frustrations so they do not explode from holding it in. They know they can trust me to listen, to steer them when they are off in their thinking (and yes I do tell them) or to remind them to look at it from a different perspective. They know I am a safe zone. This honors me. I know for a fact that not all parent/child relationships are this way. I've been in ministry life in three different states and observed too much not to realize this fact. I am very thankful for the relationship I have with my daughter and son. I can talk with both of them privately about nearly anything. This fact alone brings me honor. I'll take it! It's worth much more than a card made of paper. The knowing in your heart that your child values you and your opinion is priceless. Hey maybe I should make a commercial! lol
So, for me, Mother's Day is any day that my child chooses me. When I am their go-to person. I hope and pray I never let them down. I'm sure I have in the past but hope I never do in the future.
The one I have been thinking about is coming in May. You guessed...Mother's Day. Ha, I bet you thought it was going to be Memorial Day. It is a day the government appointed to set aside to honor mothers everywhere. In fact, men are encouraged to honor their mothers and their wife who is the mother of their children. So, that's kind of a double whammy. The same goes when Father's Day comes around in June for the women. I get it. Just like Valentine's Day is supposed to be a special day for couples that gets recognized even though it's really just a money maker for stores and the couples should be treating each other right, special and with respect on a daily basis but on February 14th we are to step it up a notch and spend money so the stores can make a profit. Can you hear my sarcasm?!
The Bible tells us in the Ten Commandments to honor our father and our mother....this means daily. This means all the time! And, as we taught my kids and as Bob and I taught to teens as youth pastor, it means honor goes beyond obedience. Obedience is when you still live at home under parent's roof. Honor is a life time commitment. Honor is what happens as a result of your character that reflects positively back to the parents! It's also what happens when the parent is not present with the child. Most kids can act correctly when authority is around (MOST!) but when a child does right when they think no one is watching...that's the true test.
I was reminded this past week about the real way my kids honor me. I was reminded when my son called to talk. It is not always by them remembering to send a card or call on Mother's Day, because truthfully, sometimes life gets busy and they forget to send a card or call. Sundays are very busy (which is the day the government chose to pick for honoring parents...you know the day most have off anyway...including them!..except those in ministry or heavily committed to helping around the church). Some Sundays even a phone call would be rushed. I'm actually ok with that even though I know when those times have happened my kids feel awful about it.
Here's what I know for sure...they honor me often. They are praised to me by others. This reflects what Bob and I taught them. They call me for advice on a regular basis. They call me when they need to vent out frustrations so they do not explode from holding it in. They know they can trust me to listen, to steer them when they are off in their thinking (and yes I do tell them) or to remind them to look at it from a different perspective. They know I am a safe zone. This honors me. I know for a fact that not all parent/child relationships are this way. I've been in ministry life in three different states and observed too much not to realize this fact. I am very thankful for the relationship I have with my daughter and son. I can talk with both of them privately about nearly anything. This fact alone brings me honor. I'll take it! It's worth much more than a card made of paper. The knowing in your heart that your child values you and your opinion is priceless. Hey maybe I should make a commercial! lol
So, for me, Mother's Day is any day that my child chooses me. When I am their go-to person. I hope and pray I never let them down. I'm sure I have in the past but hope I never do in the future.
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