tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183368222024-03-12T16:44:40.955-12:00OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our Lord stands forever. Isaiah 40:8Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946467018269374351noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-58347607305886203322009-03-02T07:05:00.002-12:002009-03-02T07:10:28.978-12:00Writing for IncomeI have been working on writing and building websites as a way to earn money from home. So far, my progress has been very slow, but progress is progress. <br /><br />I am still working full-time outside of the home but hope to stop within the next year. In the meantime I spend what little extra time I have trying to build up an online income, mostly passive. <br /><br />My real dream would to be to spend more time building sites around theological and apologetic interests, but before I can do that, I need to have a supplemental income going. With the economy so sluggish, the potential doesn't seem to be as good, but I know God will take care of our needs no matter what.<br /><br />I am looking forward to a less stressful lifestyle. Working with kids has become such a burden and I want to have alot more quality family time than we enjoy now. I am actually looking forward to see where things are headed and what God has planned for us.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946467018269374351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-53447446858912837692008-10-03T09:55:00.003-12:002008-10-03T10:07:50.259-12:00Christian Work from HomeThe internet has really opened the doors for so many people to work from home. I come across many Christian moms who are able to stay home with their children, even homeschool, while still contributing to the family finances through online work. <br /><br />There are many helpful work at home websites online, even some dedicated to Christians, but it is still difficult to find a good work from home opportunity. Often times it takes some trial and error to figure out what works for you. Look for opportunities that utilize your strengths and interests. If you try something which sounds profitable but you don't enjoy it also, you are very unlikely to be successful.<br /><br />Christian women need to be careful to not get involved in activites that could compromise their beliefs. Even some basic online marketing is based on playing on people's emotions, so it is important to consider your integrity in all situations.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946467018269374351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-51245177186983733172008-09-13T13:59:00.004-12:002008-09-13T14:13:11.164-12:00Updates on Christian Women<a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/">The Christian Woman</a> is being updated with a new <a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/blog">blog for Christian women</a> and new articles. The design has been changed a bit also to give a clean look.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/articles/christian-work-at-home/wahm-index.html">Christian work at home</a> article page has been updated. Here are a few of the new articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/articles/christian-work-at-home/create-christian-home-business.html">Create Your Own Christian Based Home Business</a> <br /><a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/articles/christian-work-at-home/work-from-home-income-streams.html">Work From Home--Multiple Streams Of Income </a><br /><a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/articles/christian-work-at-home/is-working-at-home-right.html">Is Working at Home Right For You</a> <br /><br /><br />I have also added a Squidoo page called <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/thechristianwoman">Christian Women & Life</a> to complement the website and do some networking. <br /><br />I have not spent much time on The Christian Woman over the last three years but I am trying to put some effort in to it again. I hope that my efforts in adding content and the help of some other Christian women on the blog will revitalize the website.<br /><br />I will use this blog to keep track of some of my progress.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-88656011083108205832007-07-14T00:13:00.000-12:002007-07-14T00:15:08.945-12:00Move UpdateI have most of my posts moved to the new blog. Now I am trying to move some of the more recent comments. I hope to have the new blog ready for publication this weekend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1168546967489099862007-01-11T08:20:00.000-12:002007-01-16T07:36:43.106-12:00A BreakI'm taking a break from posting for awhile. <br /><br />I have too much going on right now in my "real life".Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1167846767030935662007-01-03T05:50:00.000-12:002007-05-09T23:04:17.443-12:00Everything to MeI love these lyrics:<br /><br /><i><b>Everything To Me</i></b><br />By Avalon<br /><br />I grew up in sunday school<br />I memorized the Golden rule<br />And how Jesus came to set the sinner free<br />I know the story inside out<br />I can tell you all about<br />The path that led Him up to Calvary<br />But ask me why He loves me<br />And I don't know what to say<br />But i'll never be the same<br />Because he changed my life when He became<br /><br />Everything to me<br />He's more than a story<br />more than words on a page of history<br />He's the air that I breath<br />The water I thirst for<br />And the ground beneath my feet<br />He's everything, everything to me<br /><br />We're living in uncertain times<br />And more and more I find that i'm aware<br />Of just how fragile life can be<br />I want to tell the world I found <br />A love that turned my life around<br />They need to know that they can taste and see<br />Now everyday I'm praying <br />Just to give my heart away<br />I want live for Jesus<br />So that someone else might see that he is<br /><br />Everything to me<br />He's more than a story<br />more than words on a page of history<br />He's the air that I breath<br />The water I thirst for<br />And the ground beneath my feet<br />He's everything<br />And looking back over my life at the end<br />I'll go to meet you saying you've been<br /><br />You're everything to me<br />You're more than a story<br />More than words on a page of history<br />You're everything to me<br />You're more than a story<br />More than words on a page of history<br />You're the air that I breath<br />The water I thirst for<br />And the ground beneath my feet<br />You're everything to me<br />Lord, you're everything to meUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1161625663422615522006-10-23T05:43:00.000-12:002006-10-25T08:29:43.300-12:00General Questions About Christian BloggersDo you think Christian bloggers represent well the actual beliefs of the Christian population overall? <br /><br />Or do you think that there seems to be a majority of one extreme over another? Or just extremes in general?<br /><br />Do you think that most of the bloggers who identify themselves as Christians are doctrinally sound? Mature in their walk with Christ? <br /><br />And if you answer, give me your definition of “Christian” first.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1161344580707139262006-10-19T23:21:00.000-12:002006-10-26T00:46:58.510-12:00Dry Spells and PoliticsI am in another cycle of being unsure whether or not I want to continue blogging.<br /><br /> My struggle is that I enjoy blogging but I really don’t have the time for it. These last few weeks not blogging have been nice, no pressure to write nor distractions in thinking about what to write. But it is hard to just walk away. I guess I enjoy having a creative outlet.<br /><br />Lately my posts seem to get people riled up which is fine although the negative comments are a bit tiring. I am hard-lined in my opinions but I am not sure whether that is “proper” or not. <br /><br />I’ve tried to liven things up in my every day conversations. Yesterday I stated that I don’t believe a Christian can be a Democrat. Only two people heard the statement and there weren’t many waves from them, but I know it was still a bit of a taboo thing to say. <br /><br />But there, I said it. Politics and Christianity – I am mixing them. You could even call me legalistic with that comment. It's a double whammy of sorts. <br /><br />So don’t forget, vote Republican in November.<br /><br />That’s all I have!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1160439166880062432006-10-09T12:02:00.000-12:002006-10-12T06:39:15.540-12:00New Devotional BlogCheck out the new group devotional Blog <a href="http://devotionals.eph2810.com/">Laced with Grace</a>. <br /><br />This blog was started by my friend <a href="http://www.eph2810.com/">Iris</a> and also features my favorite commenter and friend, <a href="http://mzellen.com/blog10">Ellen</a>. <br /><br />I know these women both love the Lord so I can imagine that there will be some great content there. Be sure to stop by and leave an encouraging comment.<br /><br /><a href="http://devotionals.eph2810.com/"><br /><img alt="Laced with Grace" src="http://thechristianwoman.com/images/lwg.gif" border="0"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1160085209539167832006-10-05T09:48:00.000-12:002006-10-14T04:41:20.640-12:00The Will to BlogI think I've lost the will to blog. At least temporarily.<br /><br />I'm tired and my mind is blank. <br /><br />I think I will take a little blogging vacation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1159454446774325732006-09-28T02:39:00.000-12:002006-09-28T02:40:46.830-12:00Chosen by GodI finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-God-R-C-Sproul/dp/0842313354/sr=8-1/qid=1159452201/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1741550-2051248?ie=UTF8&s=books">Chosen by God</a> by R.C. Sproul this past week (recommended by <a href="http://mylifeunderthesun.blogspot.com/">Michele</a>). It is a very basic introduction to Calvinism and is written in a very easy to read fashion. <br /><br />Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I am not sure where exactly I stand on Calvinism as I haven’t found much reason to decide one way or the other. But I find the insight that Calvinism provides into the characteristics of God and man very interesting. I think I will need to read more on the subject.<br /><br />One thing that has stood out clearly to me lately as I read scripture is the role of God in every part of salvation. There is so much talk in the scriptures of election, predestination, calling, choosing, etc. I understand that the Arminian and Calvinist have different approaches to these terms, but I tend to think our limited minds have trouble understanding the workings of God in this area.<br /><br />On this note, I was reading a transcript from MacArthur (who is a Calvinist) last night on predestination and salvation based on this verse:<br /><br /><I>And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.</I> Romans 8:30<br /><br />I like the way MacArthur handled this verse and showed not only the assurance of salvation through God’s stepwise plan for us, but also elaborated on how God’s plan basically works for each individual. We are predestined, then called, then justified, then glorified. What God has started, God will finish.<br /><br />Anyway, MacArthur went on to talk about the elect and the non-elect and I like one thing he said because it dealt a bit with some of the common hang-ups on the non-elect idea (predestined for destruction?). He basically said the non-elect were condemned for their non-belief because that is what scripture says, despite the fact that there seems to be a dissymmetry with that idea as compared to the work in the elect (being chosen and given the ability to follow God). <br /><br />How can that be? It is one of those mysteries that our puny brains can’t comprehend according to MacArthur. I think a lot of scripture is clear, definitely the Gospel message. But I think it is sometimes easy to go with an interpretation that is comfortable (like the complete free will of man) rather than accept what the scripture actually says. And I think Calvinism makes people uncomfortable.<br /><br />But I diverge. Back to Sproul…I enjoyed the book and would like to read more by Sproul. I think the one idea that stuck with me from the Calvinist point of view is the idea of man choosing to turn to God. Sproul makes the argument that we do that which we desire. Our desires determine our choices. With that in mind, why would a fallen man ever choose Christ unless God first gave him the desire. That makes sense to me.<br /><br />I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the interplay between a sovereign God and a fallen man. I’m not quite ready to fully embrace Calvinism yet, but the one thing I can really appreciate about their viewpoint is the emphasis on the sovereignty of God. I just don’t think that God’s sovereignty can ever be overemphasized.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1158582884437250602006-09-18T00:33:00.000-12:002007-05-09T23:03:39.645-12:00Young AssuranceMy four-year-old daughter learns a new verse each month in her class at church. They usually paraphrase it, but I recognized it immediately when she told me yesterday after church:<br /><br />“Nothing can separate us from the love of God”<br /><br />My little girl is learning about assurance! <br /><br /><I><b> For I am convinced</b> that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,<b> nor anything else in all creation, </b>will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.</I> Romans 8:38-39Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1158417756522260232006-09-16T02:34:00.000-12:002007-05-09T23:03:39.646-12:00Great Quote on Righteousness<a href="http://mzellen.com/blog10/">Ellen</a> made a great comment in <a href="http://mzellen.com/blog10/2006/09/15/on-accountability/">her post today</a>, I had to share it:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>Doing right does not equal being right. It’s progress; a step. But doing right, instead of making the heart change, only leads to morality, not righteousness. Following the right rules does not bring us closer to God. Coming closer to God brings us closer to following the right rules.</blockquote><br /><br />This difference should be understood by every believer!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1157916681753311712006-09-10T07:21:00.000-12:002006-09-10T07:43:32.273-12:00Christian Women BloggersOkay, I have my new template done.<br /><br />I have also added to my <a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com">website for Christian Women </a>a list of <a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/christian-resources/christian-women-bloggers.html">Christian Women Bloggers</a> (which right now is just me). My guess is that much of the traffic at my website are women not so familiar with the blog world, so this list will introduce some of the site visitors to Christian women who blog. <br /><br />If you would like to join the list, send me an email and I'll send you the code to add the graphic below to your sidebar and then put you on the list. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/christian-resources/christian-women-bloggers.html"><img src="http://www.thechristianwoman.com/images/cw&b.jpg" border="0"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1157651989162316712006-09-07T05:57:00.000-12:002006-09-07T05:59:49.233-12:00Re-VoteOkay, I'm leaning towards layout #2, especially since I made some modifcations to the template. What do you think?<br /><br /><a href="http://ofchristianwomen-test2.blogspot.com/">Layout 2</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1157567892554761222006-09-06T06:21:00.000-12:002006-09-06T06:38:14.596-12:00A Note and A Vote<strong>A Note:</strong> I am on vacation from work this week which means I am at home trying to get some stuff done around the house. We have a few outdoor projects to finish up, but since it's been raining almost everyday, we are getting nowhere fast. There are plenty of indoor things to do, but since I am a procrastinator I give you:<br /><br /><strong>A Vote:</strong> I've decided to change my blog template again. Why?<br /><br />1. Because I can.<br />2. Because it is more fun than cleaning out the attic.<br />3. Because I want to be like <a href="http://mylifeunderthesun.blogspot.com/">Michele</a>, <a href="http://reformedchicksblabbing.blogspot.com/">Michele</a>, <a href="http://bloggingchicks.blogspot.com">Michele</a> when I grow up.<br />4. Because I have been coveting <a href="http://mzellen.com/blog10">Ellen's</a> newer template.<br />5. Because I have temporary access to Photoshop.<br />6. Because I am hoping a flower theme will scare off Tony and his purgatory references (just kidding, Tony).<br /><br />BUT, I have two different headers made up and can't decide. So please take a look at my two new layouts and tell me which you like best (leave a comment here): <a href="http://ofchristianwomen-test.blogspot.com/">Layout 1</a> or <a href="http://ofchristianwomen-test2.blogspot.com/">Layout 2</a>.<br /><br />Since I am concentrating on home projects this week, posting will be light to non-existent. Do what you can to get by without me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1157302598399728292006-09-03T04:54:00.000-12:002006-09-03T04:56:38.450-12:00Home-brew Substitution<a href="http://teresatwocents.blogspot.com/">Moonshadow</a> made a comment on <a href="http://mylifeunderthesun.blogspot.com/">Michele’s blog</a> that I must make my own beer because I use the word “home-brew” so much. Well she’s wrong. I don’t even drink anymore so except for an occasional fruit or veggie that is rotting away in my fridge, there is no alcohol being made in my home.<br /><br />But she is right that I have been stuck with my description of “home-brew God” to describe the God of some people that is a creation of their own thoughts and feelings (instead of the one true God revealed through the Bible). So I will try to come up with some new descriptions for the home-brew God. <br /><br />All I have so far is “homemade God” and “al a carte God”. Not terribly original.<br /><br />Any ideas?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1157159931409485102006-09-01T13:14:00.000-12:002006-09-01T13:31:05.950-12:00UniversalismSince this “theology” is relatively new to me I thought I would share it. <br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universalism">From Wikipedia</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>As noted above, in Christianity, Universalism, Universal reconciliation, or universal salvation, is the doctrine that all will be saved. Among theologians the doctrine is often referred to using the Greek word apocatastasis. The doctrine addresses the problem of Hell and notions of God's mercy and justice. Universalists contend that a loving God would not submit anyone, regardless of his or her sins or beliefs, to everlasting torment. Some also argue that eternal condemnation in Hell, an infinite punishment, is not proportionately just with any number of essentially finite sins.</blockquote><br />This idea is obviously not biblical and a good example of extracting some verses out of the Bible and ignoring the rest. It separates salvation from faith in Jesus and denies that any will perish.<br /><br />And yet we know:<br /><br /><i> Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."</i> John 3:1-3<br /><br /><i> "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”</i> Matt 7:13-14<br /><br /><i>And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' </i>Mark 9:47-48<br /><br />This idea of universal salvation is not all that much different that the home-brew God I described in <a href="http://ofchristianwomen.blogspot.com/2006/08/gospel-message-part-2.html">The Gospel According to Me</a>. The idea has just been reinforced with some out of context bible quoting making it in my mind more grievous than the home-brew God.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1156764061521493432006-08-27T22:58:00.000-12:002006-08-27T23:26:05.976-12:00CommentingI need to come up with a commenting policy but I am not in the mood for it right now. So let me just say this quickly. <br /><br />I do not like to delete comments (unless there is foul language). If someone wants to disagree with me, that is fine, but I have lost my tolerance for personal attacks. This is what I need to define in a set of rules because it appears that some people don't understand what is an unfair personal comment.<br /><br />That said, if you consider yourself a Christian, then act like one if you want to comment. Don't say things that may insult, hurt, or misrepresent a person because you are angry or frustrated with them. <br /><br />If you are not a Christian, then please just try to be nice. <br /><br />Going forward, I will delete any comments that I find overly insulting to me or to another commenter. No warnings. If you would like to make a point, keep out the personal stuff.<br /><br />I am opening up comments on the most recent posts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1156212482329340022006-08-21T14:04:00.000-12:002007-05-09T23:03:39.648-12:00What Will You Do With Jesus?My friend at work is still “seeking” out the truth about God and asking good questions. She reminds me a lot of myself right before I was saved, having an almost insatiable curiosity about God. I feel very encouraged that God is working on her and it is a joy to talk with her about the Lord.<br /><br />Being still at a intellectual/logical pursuit of faith, my friend has rightfully placed Jesus at the center of her quest. He is the one that can not be so easily dismissed. As C.S. Lewis so eloquently put it in his book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060652926/sr=8-1/qid=1156212056/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7038959-1278405?ie=UTF8">Mere Christianity</a>:<br /><br /><i>I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.</i><br /><br />Jesus’ claims to be God can not be extracted from his teachings. Ultimately everyone needs to determine what they are going to do with Jesus. His existence in history is undeniable, so every person needs to decide whether he is a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. <br /><br />If Jesus is indeed Lord, then his teachings need to be taken to heart. And let’s not deny that Jesus said some tough things: <br /><br /><i>Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”</i> John 14:6<br /><br /><i>"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”</i> Matt 7:13-14<br /><br /><i>"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”</i> Matt 7:21<br /><br /><i>"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”</i> Matt 10:32-34<br /><br />Jesus is the Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice. His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins – he is our Savior because he has saved us from condemnation if only we will believe in him.<br /><br /><i>I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.</i> John 5:24<br /><br /><i>"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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”</i> John 3:16-18<br /><br />What will you do with Jesus?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1156159058400621432006-08-20T23:12:00.000-12:002006-08-26T07:47:17.146-12:00Sola Scriptura ala EllenI am really looking forward to doing some posts on Sola Scriptura as I think that topic is so important, but I have a few other posts to get to first. In the meantime, please visit <a href="http://mzellen.com/blog10/">Ellen's</a> post on <a href="http://mzellen.com/blog10/2006/08/20/sola-scriptura-the-authority-of-scripture/">Sola Scriptura: The Authority of Scripture</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.challies.com">Challies</a> also has a good article called <a href="http://www.challies.com/archives/002035.php">Does Anyone Choose Hell?</a> <br /><br /><I>When we speak of God's wrath coming on people rather than on the wicked, we invariably sense a oneness with them rather than with God. But this puts us in opposition to God and the righteousness of his ways.</I><br /><br />Rectifying a Loving but Just God can be difficult for some people. This article helps explain the idea a bit better (the comment discussion is good also).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1156013409492396502006-08-19T06:33:00.000-12:002007-05-09T23:03:39.648-12:00The Gospel According to Me, Part 3Okay, here is my nutshell explanation of God and his plan of salvation. I use this for someone who knows absolutely nothing about God or the Bible. Very simplistic, but it is a start.<br /><br />An all-powerful, Holy, never-changing, perfect God created man. But man sinned against God (he violated God’s command – deliberate defiance) and caused a rift between himself and a Holy God. All men sin and fall short of the glory of God. Man has violated the commands of God and has incurred a penalty. This is because God is infinitely just. He could not just turn a blind eye to man’s sin (that would go against his nature), a price had to be paid.<br /><br />But God knew that man could never pay the penalty for his sin. He knew that he would have to pay the penalty for man. So God sent his son, Jesus, to live a perfect, sin-free life and die in man’s place. Jesus took all the sins of men onto himself and died to pay the penalty for those sins. His sacrifice satisfied the wrath of a just God and was accepted as proven by his resurrection. <br /><br />So all men have sinned and all deserve punishment, but Jesus has paid the debt for us. Salvation is Jesus saving us from the penalty of our own sin so that we can live eternally with God in heaven when we die. It is a free gift, we can not earn it ourselves, but we must accept the gift by believing and trusting in Jesus. We must repent of our sins and turn to God. If we do not accept Jesus’ gift of salvation, then we are still under the penalty of our sins.<br /><br />There is a great analogy of the salvation plan and the justness of God in the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0842345523/sr=8-1/qid=1156012008/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-8634353-4623335?ie=UTF8">More than a Carpenter</a>. Basically, a woman violates a traffic law and goes before the judge. The woman is found guilty of the violation and the judge fines her $100. But then the judge gets down from his bench, takes off his robe, and gives the woman $100 to pay for her fine. Why? Because the judge was her father. Because he is a judge, he had to fine his daughter for breaking the law. But as her father, he could pay the fine for her. Justice has been served and a father’s love for his daughter is revealed. <br /><br />God IS a loving God. But he is more than just loving. He is also Holy and Just. Those attributes of God can not be excluded from our understanding of Him. Likewise, we are all sinners. We have all broken God's commands (check out just the 10 commandments) and our sins separate us from God. The only way to bridge the divide between our sinful nature and God's Holy nature is the cross of Christ. <br /><br />To deny God’s salvation plan through Jesus is to either deny that you are a sinner before God and/or to deny that Jesus’ death was for a purpose. What are you going to do with Jesus?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1155901024867782632006-08-17T23:35:00.000-12:002007-05-09T23:03:39.649-12:00The Gospel According to Me, Part 2I am always fascinated to hear non-believer’s description of “their God”. Often times these people have grown up in some sort of a church system, but have never met the one true God. Instead they have a God of their own creation who not so surprisingly, is a pretty easy-going guy. What I love to ask these people is “Where is your proof of that”?<br /><br />Common sense should tell you that we can not all have our own made-up version of God. Certainly the various versions of “my God’ are going to conflict and how do you know who is right. There has to be some common source of the truth about God. <br /><br />As <a href="http://ofchristianwomen.blogspot.com/2006/08/gospel-according-to-me.html">I said previously</a>, the version of the home-brew God that I see the most is a God who is all loving and lets all the good people into heaven. Sounds good, right? My questions is, where do you draw the line between good and bad? Hitler would be bad and Mother Theresa good, correct? Okay, that one was easy. <br /><br />What about the person who cheats on their taxes? A career criminal who has stolen his whole life? How about the young man who got drunk at his 21st birthday party, drove himself home, and killed a family of four in a car accident along the way? How about the woman who after being beaten for 10 years by her husband, shot him so he would not beat her anymore? And what about her husband?<br /><br />This is my issue. Deciding where the boundaries of good and bad are is not so easy. And the line would be drawn in different places depending on the person and the evidence presented (welcome to our judicial system). Now, maybe it is easy for God to decide knowing all the facts of a person’s life, but where does that leave us? How do we know when we have crossed the line then? Now we are playing by unknown rule-book – how is that fair?<br /><br />I for one am happy that the decision between good and evil, between heaven or hell is not played out this way. What we have is a holy, righteous, just God who has a plan for the salvation of man (being saved from punishment) and has revealed that plan of salvation through the Bible (Jesus). We do not need to be confused as to what will happen to us when we die, we can KNOW how to have eternal life (be in heaven with God).<br /><br />I will talk more about this plan in the next post.<br /><br /><br /><I>I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.</I> 1 John 5:13<br /><br /><I> Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.</I> John 17:3Unknownnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1155594986880392522006-08-14T10:34:00.000-12:002007-05-09T23:03:39.649-12:00The Gospel According to MeFor many years I believed in what I will call “The Gospel According to Me”. It was based on a general belief in a God with no real substance. He was the God of my own creation, a big teddy bear in the sky who let all the “good people” go to heaven. I believed that simply because it worked for me. <br /><br />But during my late twenties I slowly became interested in the Bible. I bought a book from the bookstore bargain table which described some of the people in the Bible. At the same time TNT ran a few miniseries on some Bible stories while A&E had “Mysteries of the Bible” (which I don’t recommend now). As my interest continued to build (which was God calling me) I eventually attended church with my boyfriend at the time (now my husband) and we both accepted Christ as our Savior. The details are a bit blurry but I know that my transformation was sudden and dramatic, and I felt like a blind person who was suddenly given the gift of sight. <br /><br />What I learned from the Bible those first few months after accepting Christ was that I now had a way to learn about God. He wasn’t that big teddy bear in the sky anymore, he was something much bigger and much better. He was the creator of the universe, yet he loved me and wanted to have a personal relationship with me. He was perfect and holy while I was sinner, yet he had a plan to take care of all that. <br /><br />In my life I don’t run into too many atheists. Most of the people I know that aren’t believers have their own version of “The Gospel According to Me”. Usually their God is similar to what my God was before I was saved. The problem is, we can’t each have our own God. There either is a God or there isn’t. And if there is a God, then his characteristics can not be left to our own choosing. We must find the truth and not relying on what feels right. <br /><br />So what I would like to do is share my knowledge of the one true God. The God that revealed himself to me through his Bible and has been faithful to me ever since. I think this will be a multi-part series, but I am sorta winging it right now. <br /><br />I would like to start with my own version of what is God all about. Basically, what did Jesus do and why (a paraphrased version of the Gospel that I like to use to give people a starting point). From there I would like to move into the Gospel message directly from the Bible. And then I’m not sure where we will go from there – maybe talk about the Bible some more.<br /><br />I have a lot of topics I would like to post on but as usual, time is a factor. I will eventually get to Sola Scriptura and also talk more about the doctrine of justification. And I would still like to do a post or two on Galatians. But for now I’d like to focus on the basics of the Gospel message and what it means to me. More to come.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18336822.post-1155571804474408982006-08-14T04:06:00.000-12:002006-08-14T04:10:04.530-12:00Book Meme FollowupThis was interesting. <a href="http://righteousjudgment.blogspot.com/2006/08/tales-from-script-book-meme-revisited.html">This website </a>did a survey of the recent book meme and listed books that were mentioned multiple times. <br /><br />I got this meme from <a href="http://mylifeunderthesun.blogspot.com/">Michele</a> who didn’t mention the original rules which included excluding the Bible, so my list was not only boring, but a rule breaker. That Michele is a troublemaker I tell you.<br /><br />Anyway, the list reminded me of some of my favorite secular books and also a book that I had remembered making me cry as a kid, but couldn’t remember the title before. <br /><br />My favorite secular book is Pride and Prejudice. My favorite Christian book is The Hiding Place. And the book that made me cry was Where the Red Fern Grows.<br /><br />Check out the link above for the general consensus on books.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2