Reasons Christ Came

There are different reasons in the Bible as to why Jesus came and why He died.  They are linked closely together.  In my reading of the Bible, the main ones are:

1.       The love of God. John 3:16

2.       To testify to the truth. John 18:37

3.       Give abundant life. John 10:10

4.       To die instead of us. John 10:17 & 18

When I was small, and hearing about God and Jesus, before I knew that God the Father and God the Son are one, I use to think that God did not like us and that only Jesus loved us because He died.  Funny!

John 3: 16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, love the world (us).  We can receive the full blessings of God because God love us a lot. Jesus Christ, God the Son, left heaven, and came to earth because God loves us.

John 18: 37 says ““You are a king, then!” said Pilate.  Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  Jesus was answering Pilate here.  The fact that Jesus came to testify to the truth, means the truth was (still is) under attack, and lies were (still is) being promoted as the truth.  The Jews were not living according to the truth about who they are and what God expected of them.  In fact they were so lied to, they could not even recognize the truth in Christ.  All of mankind did not know who man is or who God is and what He desires to accomplish, although we all are without excuse as 'the heavens declare the wonders of God'- Psalms 19:1.  The devil does not want us to know the truth.  Real truth is reality and comes from God.  The truth about God, mankind, the devil, is empowering to know and the devil will fight to stop us from embracing that truth.

John 10:10 says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus was referring to His sheep.  He came so we have life abundantly.  The life that we get from Christ is never ending, and over flowing.  Is your life like that?

John 10:17 & 18 says “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

We were born sinners.  Sin/evil entered into this world through Adam and Eve’s sin.  We were condemned to death.  We were separated from God.  We hide from God, because we were/are guilty.  We came to the place of finding ways to get God out of the picture so we don’t have to face Him.  Those who believed in Christ got life, redemption. 

This Easter season, let us consider even deeper what Jesus came on this earth to accomplish for us.  Allow the truth of His life on earth to move us to gaze on the face of God, and allow Him to change us. Amen!

How to wait for God's Blessings

It is always so amazing to hear someone share what God has been speaking to them, and it is the same thing God is saying to me, and we were in two different places and situations.  When God is saying something, He will do so clearly, and He will also re-enforce it. It is also an encouragement to me because it shows me that I am on target.
I have been learning how to wait for God's blessing.  I was a reading the third section of a book name 'Living Abundantly Through God's Blessing', by Jim Cymbala. I was honestly skeptical of finding anything that would be of encouragement to me.  I figured all the stories would be of people who could not remotely relate to the life that I live.  I read on in obedience to the gently nudging of the Holy Spirit, and got hit with what God wanted me to hear.  The way to wait on his blessing is to pray and give.
Pray because it is our connection to God.  It is the way we know what He wants us to do, and speak out our decision to obey and trust Him.  Give because God tells us in His word that He bless those who give, many times over.  Giving of what we have as God leads us, takes our minds of trying to work things out for ourselves, and put it instead on obedience to God.  Oh, and the giving is NOT limited to finances.
Truly waiting for God to bless us in His way and in his time means we must trust Him completely.  When we waver from moment to moment, we remind ourselves of his words to us.  The same faith we had when we trusted God to forgive us of our sins and give us new life, is the same faith we need to continue exercising moment by moment, day by day, to see His blessings flow in all areas of our lives and for us to grow stronger in our faith in God.
Martin Luther said it well, 'God will take care of us in good and bad times.  We shouldn't become over confident in times of plenty, but we also need to patiently endure in times of adversity.  God will never leave us.  He will be near us in our troubles.  Unbelievers don't have this confidence in God because they put their trust in earthly things.' (Taken from Jim Cymbala's quotation of Martin Luther in his book 'Living Abundantly Through God's Blessing').
I am reminded of King David and how he never went to battle or did anything to get himself on the throne, without consulting God first.  What God says, he does.  He was always successful in battle, and he sat on the throne years after he was anointed by God to be King.  God said of him that he was a man after His own heart.
If we are truly to live how God wants us to live-abundantly blessed, then we must submit to His way and His time.  God eagerly desires to change our hearts and bless us.  All He needs, and looks for, is a heart that believes in Him, is steadfast towards him, and an ear that will listen.

Believing In God's Sovereignty

Q: do you know God is sovereign?
Q: do you believe God is sovereign?
Q: do you believe in God's sovereignty?
Question two and three are different. The first is general and the second personal.
To be the spiritual person God has called us to be, we must believe in God's sovereignty. We must do this every moment and every day. Anything less is short change for you, and not meeting God's desires for us.

Let us look at Rebekah's (Genesis 25:23,27-34, 27:1-28:5 and Rahab's(Joshua 2, 6:22-25) life.
Rebekah knew God's word to her.  God told her that the two babies inside her were two nations, and that the younger would rule the older.  From her actions, it seems that this information she had was the reason for Jacob being her favorite son.  He happens to be the youngest of the twins.  When time came for Isaac, Rebekah's husband, to bless his oldest son Esau, Rebekah overheard and took matters into her hand.  why not? God did say that 'the elder shall serve the younger' right?  Isaac was messing things up and getting it wrong.  We will never know how God was going to fulfill His word to Rebekah, but Rebekah did not trust God enough to wait on Him.
How many times we find ourselves in this same spot? 
We are conditioned and trained to make things happen for ourselves. I am not talking work or no work, I am talking that drive in us to watch out for ME. It is selfish at its roots. God is saying something else to us.
Rebekah's action had the usual ripple effect. All action does. Her sons' relationship went bad-Esau wanted to kill Jacob. Also, she had to take more things into her hands to divert the consequences of her actions-Jacob was sent away. She died without ever seeing her son again. Esau's wives were also a source of aggravation for her-since she only knows to take matters into her own hands, she lived with that until she died.

Looking at Rahab, did she trust God? Yes! She showed she trusted God (works of faith) by hiding the spies even though they were coming to take over her country. She was initially afraid of God because she knew of His power. God promised protection with specific guidelines, and she trusted God to save her. What must have gone through her head when the walls were crumbling down, or hearing the Israelites marching around them? She risked being laughed at when she told her family to come and stay in her house. What if she thought to go somewhere else that seemed more safe? After all, when a city get conquered, the walls are usually broken down. Why should she wait in her house-don't make sense right? She However, choose to trust God's sovereignty even though it seems foolish. She is known even now for her faith.

So, can we trust God like that, even when our minds  and hearts are screaming 'NO!'? I trick you not, IT IS HARD! We all know that.
That trust is what Jesus meant when He said "if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it will be done for you." John 15:17. It is also what He meant when He asked us to take His yoke on us and learn from Him- Matthew 11:29
.God is able to be sovereign and yet allow us to make our decisions.  He is able to work around or through our choices to still make His plan for us come to pass.  We only need to submit to Him.
Will You?