But Why?

Yesterday I posted about the Way..Now I want to give my interpretation about the WHY.


Why did Jesus have to make the sacrifice on that cross so long ago?

The obvious short answer to this question is- To pay the price for OUR sins!

That's true..but if you are anything like me, you accept that answer.. but you want to know more.

Firstly, I am NOT A THEOLOGY TEACHER . But having been a student of the Bible for 34 years, I have thought a lot and researched a lot about this and other important subjects of the Christian faith, so I am going to speak pretty plainly here on this matter of why Jesus had to do what he did, and why it made all the difference for us.

Let's start at the beginning...

Imagine a perfect paradise where we walk with the Spirit of God and where we fellowship with all of God's other creatures. There are no predators, so there is no fear here. The lion truly does lay down next to the little lamb..all creatures are fed from the ground, from the grasses and fruits and seeds etc..there has never been any blood spilled upon this earth...yet.

Everything is as God planned it to be..The Creator has never been this happy to have such loving and beautiful children..He truly admires the works of His hand as he enjoys spending this time with His creation and seeing His children so happy!

But..He knows this will not last long.

Why then, you may ask, did he bother to create us in the first place if He knew what we would end up doing?

Good question!
Let's look at the Word of God for a little hint at some possible answers to this..

• But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)
• And because we are his children, God has *sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, *“Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6)
• *For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10)
• … You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession … (1 Peter 2:9)
• And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6)

 *emphasis mine

2 Peter 3:13 

 

3:13 his promise. All the promises of God, especially including His promise to return and complete His great work of redemption, will be fulfilled, though it seems to us to be long delayed (II Peter 3:4). The old cosmos will have been dissolved, its material elements having been converted temporarily into energy (light, heat, sound, etc.), but will then be made over again as a “new” cosmos, with all the age-long effects of sin and the curse forever removed (with the one exception of the lake of fire and its inhabitants—see notes on Revelation 20:10).

See, Christ’s love for you has very little to do with you and everything to do with Him. His is not simply some cosmic feeling of kindness, but an eternal truth about who He is and who you are as you are His. Likewise, God’s eternal truth about you is not simply emotionless fact, but is eternal passion based in who He is and what He’s doing with you as His.
  (Excerpt taken from- https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/why-does-god-love-me.html)

But why a blood sacrifice?

Remember how I said there hadn't been any blood shed upon the earth...YET?

Well,  this did not last. 

Soon after Adam and Eve were deceived in the garden and disobeyed God by eating from the forbidden tree..

Five things happened:

 https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/simon-turpin/2016/06/27/five-effects-of-the-fall-in-genesis-3/

I am going to skip down to number five from that teaching in order to answer the question about the necessity of a blood sacrifice.

 (You animal -lovers might wanna pay close attention here)..

*Quote from the source:

  "The first death mentioned in the Bible comes in Genesis 3:21, when God makes garments of skin after Adam and Eve sinned. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, their “eyes were opened” and they became aware of their nakedness, trying to cover it up by sowing fig leaves together. Nevertheless, this was ineffective, and ultimately God Himself clothed Adam and Eve because they could now no longer walk before Him in innocence. We wear clothes because, in a fallen world, nakedness brings about shame. God’s “clothing” of Adam and Eve is also a reminder that our salvation does not come to us through our own works but by God’s grace when He clothes us in His righteousness (see Zechariah 3:5; Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21)."

*End quote

So, here we can see that God drew the first blood in order to cover the first man and woman's sin..this required the first sacrifice of one of His beloved creatures. Adam and Eve's own attempt to cover their own shame (their awareness of sin from their disobedience to God was shame in their bodies which God made.) Their covering made from leaves was not sufficient.

My thought on this is because Lucifer was considered "beautiful" before being stripped of this glory..he was and still is very jealous of us because we were created in God's own image..in the image of Christ..so the first thing he wanted Adam and Eve to see is his own distorted vision of us..causing us to be ashamed. In fact, just look at how he has used sexuality in this world to pervert the human body..making it far from what God ever intention-ed when He created our bodies!
 

To learn more about the fall of Lucifer this article is a good one:

 https://www.christianity.com/theology/theological-faq/how-did-lucifer-fall-and-become-satan-11557519.html


Genesis 3:21  *then records the first death in the Bible, when God made clothes for Adam and Eve out of animal skin. Presumably, this would have been shocking and horrifying to the first couple. It was a graphic demonstration of the nature of their sin. Because they sinned, they now had to be clothed, or covered. That covering was only accomplished by the shedding of blood, a metaphor for their spiritual death and a foreshadowing of things to come.
Things only went downhill. By the second generation of humanity, Cain killed his brother Abel in jealousy, which was the first murder.
Mankind grew so wicked that only a single God-fearing man was left, Noah, and even his story ended in drunkenness and family discord. There were a couple of vague references to a Messiah (e.g. Genesis 3:15), but as of yet, there had been no permanent means of reconciliation offered between the holiness of God and the sinful nature of man.


*Another quote from source-  https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/why-did-god-require-animal-sacrifices-in-the-bible-does-it-serve-any-purpose-today.html

Early scripture indicates that the generations after Adam and Eve offered animals as well as other things as a sacrifice ..as told in the famous story of Cain and Abel..where the lesser offering was the grains offered by Cain whereas his brother pleased God with the correct offering of a sheep..the best one from his herd.
So when King Solomon dedicated the first Temple  (I Kings 8:41-3) People started to make regular animal sacrifices in remembrance of Gods first sacrifice until: in A.D. 70..
 Animal sacrifices stopped

But for Christians, this practice was never necessary after Christ made the final blood sacrifice on the cross. This was the perfect lamb of God offered once and for all.  
 As Jesus Christ who is also called Emmanuel or "God is with us"..Being God in the flesh freely Offered himself up to make this final payment for mankind's sin.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth;
we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. 

John 1:14

I hope this rather long essay has helped you to understand a bit more just how important that sacrifice is to each one of us today..and I pray you all are staying safe as we celebrate this  Resurrection Sunday.

Thanks for reading..and as always...

Never forget that we are...

~Never Forsaken~  

No Other Way

  There are many in our world today (even some who call themselves Christian) who believe that there are many ways to come to God..many paths to Heaven. 

Before his arrest Jesus went alone to pray to the Father. He pleaded with him "Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done." (John 14:6)..meaning if there was any other way for God to forgive the sins of mankind, Jesus wanted the Father to spare him from what was coming.
His distress during this prayer was such that he actually sweated blood!

If there was ANY OTHER WAY, do you honestly think God would have allowed his own SON to go through this?...

 

 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”

 then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Hebrews 10:12-18

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

Remember that Jesus is very much alive and always will be. He is preparing a place for us so that we can be with him forever in Glory!

This is something to celebrate each and every day.

~Blessings & Love~

and remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

In These Uncertain Times

In December of 2013 my life changed.

I was diagnosed with stage 2 aggressive (grade 3) breast cancer.
Upon hearing the word "cancer" and then reading the word "carcinoma" on the sheet of paper they gave me afterward, my body went completely numb and my mind operated on a kind of auto-pilot until we got home.
The next thing were these two thoughts which seemed to play in a loop over and over beginning with both of us asking out loud:"Could this be actually happening?" followed by the realization: "This is actually really happening!"
That is when it feels as if the wind is knocked right out of your lungs!
For the first time in my life I was faced with the very real possibility that I might die.. At age 48 or sometime soon afterward..even though it was only a stage 2 diagnosis at that time.
Less than 4 years later I would be re-diagnosed only that time it was stage 4..no cure.

Let me start with where I was mentally at the time of that diagnosis...

Four months prior I was declared cancer free..and even the word "cured" was used..I had beat this deadly aggressive cancer!
Finally, I started to talk about plans for the future.. and for the first time in nearly four years I started to feel like I was truly living in the land of the living and not walking through the valley of the shadow of death! I could breathe..really breathe. So I went back to living without fear of dying again. I even started to worry more about stupid little things again, things like needing to de-clutter the house, and rearrange stuff to change my environment..I got into watching and reading fictional stories and getting caught up in drama that way. Despite the daily reminders of my battle such as the physical scars left from surgeries etc..I felt normal again.

When the second diagnosis came it was called "Metastatic Breast Cancer" caused by a genetic mutation and that was as serious as it could possibly get..prognosis was very dire now..Not years, but only months to live..Well, I was sucked down into a whirlwind of emotion and fear was the biggest specter in the darkness there.. The valley of shadows seemed ready to devour me at every moment..I could not talk to friends and family this time because unlike the first time, I could not give them hope that we will beat it..because there was no cure. Instead I wrote a letter to my best friend saying good-bye. I went through family photos and put some in order to give to my children and I gave all my valuable jewelry to my children and grandchildren.
 My faith was strong though..I was preparing to meet Jesus face to face very soon.
That was late in 2017..nearly three years now. I have survived past the time that is expected for MBC patients even without genetic mutation (which I miraculously have no mutation now)..and I am declared to have "No evidence of disease". But this time, I am not returning to a state of normalcy like before.
This time around I am working through each day learning to adapt to a new normal..My faith has become stronger because of this.
Life does go on at least for some of us..but I am clearly aware that there are many who have fallen from this disease since my diagnosis..Jeff and I have attended more than one funeral of friends just this past year alone..and there have been funerals we were unable to attend as well.
 I am writing this post today because our entire world has been thrown into this same whirlwind..I have been inside that thing more than once and I know how to navigate through it.
 This COVID-19 pandemic is a bigger bully than even cancer in my opinion..but like cancer it is not as powerful as our faith in God, nor is it more powerful than our ability to love and care for one another..to learn and appreciate what is most valuable in our short lives that we are given here upon this earth.
Many have gone to meet their Maker in just these last couple of months..and many more are headed there now as I write this.
The only way I was able to survive the darkness of that whirlwind, and walk through that valley of the shadow of death (I am still walking)..is to carry the lamp that I have been given. It is the Words of our Creator..it is fueled by my faith. I have to replace this fuel on a daily basis.

Here I will give you some fuel for your lamp today:

 Now that I have helped to equip you for this journey that we are all on today..let me give you just a small piece of advice here...Do not focus on the darkness and drop your lamp along the way..remember that you are NOT ALONE. Yes, you will stumble..maybe even fall down and scrape your knees..stay there a moment and ask God for help (AKA~ PRAY)..He will never run ahead of you forgetting you are following him..He is the GOOD SHEPHERD..and a good shepherd never takes his eyes off his sheep. But sometimes we are required to ask for what we need:

"In these uncertain times"..(This is what I keep hearing people saying)..Well, we as human beings have never had absolute certainty when it comes to what our future here on earth holds.
At a time such as this these words from an old country song are so very true and comforting to remember...

"I don’t know about tomorrow.I just live from day to day.
 I don’t borrow from its sunshine,For its skies may turn to gray.
 I don’t worry o’er the future, For I know what Jesus said.
 And today he walks beside me, For he knows what is ahead.
 Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand.
 But I know who holds tomorrow. 
And I know who holds my hand."

Written by: Ira F. Stanphill
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

~Blessings & Love~
and always remember...We are
~NEVER FORSAKEN~ 

Everyone Has A Story

Everyone has a story..

Hartwick Pines State Forest, Lisa Stager 2019

Whether you speak it out loud or write it down, it is your story.. it's the story of you.
Only I can tell my story and know that it is told correctly, because only I can hear the narrative playing out within my mind. while I watch the scenes unfold therein.

My story can become interwoven within the stories of others, told from their perspective..maybe they will use just one word..one name, for a name is all that may be needed.

Even Our LORD Himself is a story..The Word became flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

— John 1:1-3, 14

..and then He spoke and was spoken of and written down for us to know Him.

Creation was spoken into existence..while molded by His hand..it is commanded by his word into action continually.
Isaiah 48:13 

My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together. 

We are made in the image of our Creator..

 …Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Genesis 1:26-27

He is Spirit and through His Word our own spirit came to life as we were spoken into existence while His hand wove our bodies within the womb. Our Creator is the true author of our stories..It is our job therefore to walk it out and talk it out..just like the sun and moon and all the elements of the universe obey Him, we too must obey according to His design for us, which is our purpose for being.

 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.
(Psalm 139 14-16) 

Our own words are more powerful than our hands..with the ability to construct or destroy whole worlds of thought and emotion..we create things both tangible and intangible..We command our fingers and our eyes and whole body to perform and create almost anything we can imagine.

We build cities and relationships and the chapters continue to be written and spoken into existence.

In a world where everyone is trying to be heard, there are some who remain silent, who believe that their story is not important. Perhaps they have been told to be quiet, because someone did not want to hear their story..or maybe they are waiting for their story to become more interesting? What a shame to wait, for your story may never get told except maybe in one or two words written into the story of another.
If I were to define the sky with only one word and say "sky" then I have included in my story the sky..but without a description of that sky from someone standing underneath it during an early summer morning..or a pilot flying above it ..then I may not be doing it justice with my limited perspective as I sit here looking out the window of my cottage in the forest..for I can barely even see the sky above me. This is the same as someone else telling or writing your story..even if only a sentence is created..without a clear vision into the perspective that only you yourself possess.

If I were to give you one word of advice today..I would say either "Speak!" or "Write!" It is yours to tell..so tell it while you can..otherwise someone else may tell your story for you..but then it is no longer yours.

My story continues..

By: Lisa Stager
February 13, 2020

IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16

 VIDEO:
The rise of Christian Persecution 2020

But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.  (Matthew 10:16-20)

 Christians (You know, we Bible thumping, fundamentalists) are one of the most persecuted (attacked, arrested, tortured, and killed) group of people around the world. Our message of Christ's love (John 3:16) means that Jesus died for our sins so that we can stand before a holy God and be clean, not judged as we deserve. But the world loves darkness, and hates the light. (John 3:19) For in the light their sins are exposed..so the world tries to put out their light. Jesus is the Light (John 1:9)

But JESUS said:

This is My command to you: Love one another. If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.…(John 15:18)

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33)

AND WE WILL TOO.

~Blessings & Love~

and always remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~ 

Praising And Giving Glory (Lessons Being Learned)

 Photo credit: Lisa Stager (Sunset over Bud lake 2010)




Imagine my surprise as I opened this blog and was reminded of the subject of my last post on here entitled: 'The Power Of Our Words'
 Why the surprise?
God has been speaking pretty clearly to me as of late. The subject seems to be mostly about talking, you know..using words.
Well, sometimes I use too many words, Ha Ha!

This past week has proven to be quite difficult for me as I have developed several canker sores inside my mouth. We don't really know what causes mouth sores, and according to my doctor it is not any of the medications that I'm on. She examined my mouth and did discover that I do have a B1 (complex) vitamin deficiency as is evidenced by cracks and sores at the corners of my mouth. She could not conclude that this was in any way related to the canker sores inside my mouth though.
So it has been very difficult to speak. I would rather remain silent than to suffer the consequences of trying to talk too much.
I believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes however, I do forget this.

Again, I was reminded of Job in the Bible..and I could relate (to a point) because of my own health battles these last few years..God is not to blame for our suffering in this life, but there are good reasons that God might allow this suffering. I used to believe that we were never really meant to fully understand why this is. Now I believe that it is during these times of hardship that God speaks to us on a deeper level..IF we choose to listen to Him.

When you cannot speak without severe pain you are forced to choose carefully what you say..You are also forced to listen more.  This is hard to do for some of us.

Being more silent has also allowed me to think more, and suffering with more pain prompted me to ask the question "Why am I suffering so? What is God trying to teach me through this time?"

I am starting to feel a lot better today as I write this, but I do not want to forget what I am learning..I don't want this lesson to slip away as I become more comfortable and ease back into my old habit of talking too much and missing the point of carefully listening to what God and others are really saying to me..especially to what God is saying.

The words keep coming to the surface: 'GLORIFY' and 'PRAISE'. Specifically, the question: "What/whom do you glorify and what/whom do you praise?"
In thinking this over, I realize that we may think we have understanding of what these words mean..but..Do we really?

Lets start with the dictionary meanings of the word 'GLORIFY':

glorify

verb

glo·​ri·​fy | \ ˈglȯr-ə-ˌfī

\

glorified; glorifying

Definition of glorify

transitive verb

1a : to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration

b : to elevate to celestial glory

2 : to light up brilliantly Chandeliers glorified the entire room.

3a : to represent as glorious : extol a song glorifying romantic love

b : to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual condition the new position is just a glorified version of the old stockroom job

4 : to give glory to (as in worship)

Okay, so here we see how we can glorify other things besides God. and I believe the point that was included here in 3b is worth taking a closer look at especially in relation to the next definition (4).

To do this I am going to reference This site which I highly recommend and trust.

Begin excerpt..

First, to glorify means to shine, to demonstrate and to manifest the divine. (Exodus 16:7; 24:16) In other words, glory represents the Lord’s presence. Throughout Biblical history, God manifested Himself in the Shekinah Glory and He was shown forth in the Pillar of cloud and fire that traveled with God’s people and that rested on Mt. Sinai. (Exodus 24:15-18)
That glory also filled the tabernacle in the wilderness. Listen to Exodus 40:34-35: “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” Often the Shekinah Glory would come at the hour of sacrifice. (See Leviticus 9:6, 23.)
Solomon’s temple was another anointed place where God’s glory permanently dwelt. (See 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3) His glory could be seen emanating from the temple for miles around. Also, God’s glory could be seen through some of the Old Testament prophets’ visions (Ezekiel 1:28; Isaiah 40:4-5), through Stephen in the New Testament (Acts 7:55), and through storms and other displays of God’s character. (Psalms 19:1-6; 57:11; 96:3; Isaiah 2:10) And, God’s glory is something we will all see when Christ returns. (1 Peter 2:12)
The second aspect of the word glory means to reflect, to show forth, to demonstrate and to express the image of an object or person that it may be seen by all. It means to add something to someone’s character that it, in itself, does not have. In the New Testament doxazo can mean to signify, extol and ascribe honor to. (John 11:4; 12:16, 23; 13:31; Matthew 5:16; 9:8; 15:31; Romans 15:6, 9; Galatians 1:24; 1 Peter 4:16) It is most often used of an external manifestation. According to the Bible, to glorify God means to bring Christ’s innate glory or radiance to light, to manifest it or to reflect it. (John 17:1)
Glory, then, seems to be the vehicle that conveys and reveals the true presence of God. In Scripture, glory means possession of the character, beauty and majesty that belong to the Lord. It means an exact representation of His being. It means reflecting His presence, His essence, His Life and His Name. Thus, to glorify God is to manifest all that God is. It’s showing forth His Self and not our own. (John 14:13; 16:14) It’s His glory brought to light in us. (John 11:4; 17:1, 5)

  End excerpt

In light of these verses and with understanding to the biblical meaning of the word 'GLORIFY", I now ask you once again: What/Whom do you glorify?

Now, remember the definition (part 3b) at the beginning of this essay?

3a : to represent as glorious : extol ..

b : to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual condition  ie: the new position is just a glorified version of the old stockroom job

This causes me to conclude that anyone or anything that we glorify other than God Himself is never worthy of such glory as our God!

Therefore, we show our love and respect for Him through our words, our actions, and our PRAISE.

So, what is the lesson I'm learning here through these last few days of suffering in silence?

I believe God wants me to stop glorifying people or things that are not worthy of my praise. This is something different from simply appreciating someone and giving them due credit for achievements or something they may have done to bless me or someone else..I am talking about the way we tend to give undo credit to, or give other people (or ourselves) too much importance..we worship them instead of worshiping the One who endowed them with whatever attributes they may possess. This also applies to objects in our lives..that can easily become idols to us. Again, I would like to remind you of this definition:

3a : to represent as glorious (I think this should say misrepresent) : extol ..

b : to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual condition

Maybe if instead of glorifying and praising ourselves or another individual, we started to give credit to our Creator..it would redirect the focus onto God and off of whatever idols we may have set up in our hearts and minds..which are our internal altars.

 Thanks for reading this long post!

~Blessings & Love~

and remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN ~