AWESOME GOD
PLAN OF SALVATION
PART FOUR
copied from ESV Bible
Why do we need to be saved?
So why do we need to be saved? Jesus said :
"Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." (John 8:34)
If we are honest with ourselves, we cannot deny that from the moment of our birth we have done wrong things - things that make us guilty before God and deserving His judgement. The Bible calls these wrong things sins, and sin separates us from God. And because we are separated from God, we face the awful prospect of "the wrath of God"
(John 3:36) which is eternal.
Jesus is the Only Way
Can anyone save us from God's wrath and assure us of heaven ? Some people believe they can get to heaven by doing good works, or by following the teachings of a religion or even by giving money to churches or charities. But Jesus clearly said that none of these things would save us.
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me."
(John 14:6)
He did not say that He simply knew the way to heaven; Jesus said that He is the only way to heaven. No human effort can give us eternal life. Christ and Christ alone, is the one and only Redeemer.
In fact the only "work" that can save us is the "work" of believing in what Jesus has done to accomplish our salvation: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Who He has sent"
(John 6:29) and to those who so believe the promise of God stands firm: "... to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become the children of God."
(John 1:12)
How does Jesus save us ?
John the Baptist calls Jesus:
"The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world."
(John 1:29)
Jesus came into this world, knowing what it would cost Him. And He explains that salvation comes through His death on the cross as the perfect sufficient sacrifice for our sins (John 3:14-15) He bore in His pure being the fullness of sin that God might forgive sinners and make them pure. And the price of Christ's bearing those sins was death. The gates of salvation are open wide to all who accept His invitation to enter by faith.
Chapters 18 and 19 of John describe Jesus' death, and then chapter 20 describes His glorious triumph over death as He rose from the dead. Jesus' resurrection means that He can give eternal life to all who believe in Him.
"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11: 25-26)
to be continued
next post 26th October
RECIPE TIME - VINEGAR PUDDING
Ingredients;
1+half cups flour
quarter tsps salt
2+half cups sugar (2cups) (half cup)
2 tsps ground ginger
half tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1+half Tbls butter or margarine
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
half cup brown vinegar
2 Tbsp Apricot jam
Method:
syrup - place 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and half cup vinegar in a saucepan bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. set aside to cool.
dough - cream butter and half cup sugar. Add well beaten eggs and mix well. Add dry ingredients mix well. Add apricot jam mix well.
Now place the dough and the cooled syrup into a large ovenproof dish and bake in a moderate (350oF) oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve with custard or cream
next post 24th October
TWENTY SIXTEEN - PART THIRTY
Hello folks,
We sent SMS's to Steve, Andy and Ryan requesting advice re; Paypal situation.
Steve provides me with Paypal's contact page. Have now sent them an email - must wait another 24 hours for answer.
Saturday 16th July - Vlooi very sick. Vomits continuously - she has nothing left in her stomach so only brings up water. No money for Vet.
Ruth gets advice from a friend and we spend the weekend nursing our little sick dog. She is so ill we don't know whether she will survive.
Sunday 17th - miraculously we are given R2000 by a friend. Just in time we only have one small bowl of dog pellets left.
Monday 18th July - 6 am . We have now waited 62 hours for Paypal's reply - sent another email - wait another 24 hours.
Midnight gave Vlooi her hourly doze of water from a syringe. Fifteen minutes later she get off the bed for the first time in more than three days and goes to the water bowl on her own and has a very good drink. Very good sign. Thanking the Lord.
Tuesday 19th - 9.45am still no reply from Paypal.
Another miracle today - another close friend pays R500 into my banking account as I have run out of airtime and data and batteries.
July 22nd Vlooi up and about. Fully recovered.
Praise be to God.
I have had another big hiccup with Vodacom - too complicated to go into - it would take up more than one post. Suffice it to say they always win - you just sit back and watch them put their hands in the cookie jar and you can do absolutely nothing about it. Trying to complain is like hitting your own head repeatedly against a solid brick wall. You are the only one getting hurt. Let it go. Just stay humble.
5th August - late afternoon - Steve phoned - he and Andy are coming to see us tomorrow to see what is going on here. I think they are also worried about where our next rent is coming from.
next post (on my bithday) 23rd October
JOKES
A man boards a plane accompanied by six young children.
After he has settled them all down in their seats and given them some story books to keep them occupied during the trip he settles down in his own seat.
A fellow passenger leans over and asks him whether they are all his biological children as they seem to be more or less in the same age group.
"No, " he replies, "I work for a condom Company and these are some of the customer complaints."
next post 22nd October
MY FAVORITE PSALMS - PART THIRTY
Teach me Thy way, O Lord I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy Name
I will praise Thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorify Thy Name forevermore.
For great is Thy mercy towards me: and Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and truth.
O turn to me and have mercy upon me, give Thy strength unto Thy servant and save the son of Thy handmaid.
Shew me a token for good, which they that hate me may see it and be ashamed: because Thou Lord has holpen and comforted me.
His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before Thee. Let my prayer come before Thee, incline Thine ear unto my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit. I am a man that has no strength.
Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom Thou rememberest no more; and they are cut off from Thy hand.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and Thou hath afflicted me with all Thy waves.
Selah.
Thou hast put away my acquaintances far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them. I am shut up and cannot come forth. My eye mourneth by reason of affliction. Lord I have called daily upon Thee; I have stretched out my hands unto Thee.
Wilt Thou shew wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Selah.
Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Thy faithfulness in destruction?
Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
But unto Thee I have cried, O Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent Thee.
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said,
Mercy shall be built up forever. Thy faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens.
And the heavens shall praise Thy wonders O Lord, Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?
next post 21st October
AWESOME
GOD
PLAN OF SALVATION
(part three)
copied from ESV Bible
The extraordinary good news of Eternal life.
The Gospel of John tells the redemptive story of what Jesus Christ did in our behalf.
Summarizing his Gospel John says "these are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His Name." (John 20:31 )
Read on as we examine what the apostle John has to say in his Gospel about the eternal life we receive through Jesus Christ.
The Son of God
John Wants to show us Who Jesus really is:
"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God ...... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
(John 1:1, 14.
Jesus, during His life on earth was God in human form! And just in case John's introduction isn't clear enough, a few sentences later he quotes John the Baptist who says,
"I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God." (John 1:34)
Throughout the book John gives evidences of Jesus' deity - that Jesus performed many miracles
(John 2:1-11, 4:46-54, 5:1-17, 6:1-13, 6:16-21,
9:1-7, 11:38-44) and that He fulfilled prophecies written about Him centuries before
(John 2:13-22, 3:14, 5:46, 12:14-16.)
God's Love
But why would Jesus, Who is God, leave heaven to live on earth as a human?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. " (John 3:16-17)
God saw us as we were, dead in our sin. That is why Jesus came. God is a forgiving God Whose Love and Patience call all to repent of their sins.
to be continued
Next post 19th October
FEATHERLIGHT
" SOUSKLUITJIES"
(dumplings)
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons cake flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
half cup milk
half teaspoon salt
1 tspn baking powder
Method:
Cream the butter and the sugar. Set aside. Beat eggs add milk and beat again. Set aside. Mix flour, salt and baking powder.
Now add a little of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and mix well then add a little of the milk and egg, mix well. Alternate in this way until all ingredients are mixed and you have a
stiffish dough (not so stiff that it will not drip - add a bit more milk if necessary).
Boil 3 cups water in a saucepan, when boiling remove from the stove and drip spoonfuls of the dough into the boiling water. Put the lid on the saucepan and put the saucepan back onto the stove and simmer slowly for fifteen minutes without lifting the lid.
Now place the dumplings into a warm dish or bowl and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and ground cinnamon. Also add a few pats of butter.
next post 6th February
AWESOME GOD
