Because of Your love

Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday everyone!

 

 

I wanted to share with you my sermon notes from the Good Friday (the day when we remember Jesus' crucifixion) service.

 

I think we've all asked the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

 

We all hear stories about tragic things happening to people that just don't "deserve" it and maybe we've been those people. We just can't seem to understand why.

Pastor Brian said we should first divide that question into 2 questions...

Why do bad things happen?

To good people?

 

Let's find the answer for the first question...

Bad things happen because we live in a sinful world.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God because they wanted to be all powerful, sin entered the world. God didn't intend for it to be that way. He didn't want them to eat from the tree, but they did and that's when "bad things" made it's big entrance into this world.

 

Now for the second question...

Well this may come as a shock to you but there are no good people. Okay, so maybe you've never stolen or committed murder, that's great. However, I'm almost positive you have committed other sins like saying God's name in vain or dishonoring your father and mother. You know why I'm so sure of it? Because we are sinful creatures. We aren't perfect. We mess up. We may donate to charities and use our manners, but that doesn't mean we are "good". The only person who is good...truly good... is Jesus Christ.

 

Now that we've answered those questions, we can understand why bad things happen to "good"/or I'll say "decent" people, but what about Jesus?

 

Why did Jesus have to suffer such a painful death even though He was perfect?

 

One word...

love.

He loves us so much that He sacrificed His life for us.

 

He was wrongly accused.

He was mocked.

He was beaten.

He was hung on a cross.

 

Not because it was fair (because it wasn't), but because He loves us.

This was His way of saving us. He put Himself in a place where we deserve to be...on the cross.

He didn't do it to manipulate us. He did it because He loves us.

 

What's even more amazing than the sacrifice and pain He endured for you and me is that He didn't stop there.

3 days after He was tortured, hung on a cross, and placed in a tomb, He rose again. So much is to be said for this amazing act of love...

 

He rose from the dead to show us that...

 

death has no power over Him

We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. ~Romans 6:9

 

nothing is impossible 

For nothing is impossible with God. ~Luke 1:37

 

He remembers our sins no more and forgives us

And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.~Hebrews 8:12

 

no matter our sins, He can make us new

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!~2 Corinthians 5:17

 

whoever believes will live forever with Him in paradise the way He intended

 I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?~John 11:25-26

 

This should make us want to jump up and down, praising God for the sacrifice and love He has covered us in.

 

Check out this song by Phil Wickham - "Because of Your Love"

 

 

 

 Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!

 

 

Day 18 In Him we find...

 

If you don't know, my whole motto behind my blog is about being transformed and renewed, especially during hard times. If you don't know my story, check it out here and my post everything happens for a reason . I think there are times in our lives where restoration is needed. It may take a trial to shake us and to wake us up or maybe we just need a new day to realize that we need a change. We can try a new diet or exercise plan in attempt to transform our bodies, but can they even come close to touching our souls? When a new year rolls around, we are so quick to change our outer bodies, but what about what's inside? We can try setting new goals or making a career change or go to counseling, but even when we do that, are we really being transformed as people?

It's when we realize that we aren't god and truly in need of a savior, when our lives can be transformed. Like I said, sometimes it may take a lot to get to that point and even then, the transformation is not over. You see, God is in the transformation business. When we come to that point of throwing our hands up, God is ready to take all that we are dealing with. It can be some messy stuff, but that won't stop God from using it for His glory. He likes to make BIG statements. During this act of trusting God, He can open our eyes to much more than we ever could imagine. Instead of letting the bad stuff get you down, let God transform you through it. The transformation doesn't stop either. After the initial transformation, God continues to transform and refine as His servants.

 

Whatever you've done or gone through, He can make you new. That might sound familiar...yep, it's at the top of my blog. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come." Nothing is too big for Him. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Even when you give it up to God, things may not make sense, but hold on, things will come together. I've said it before and I'll say it again...no matter where you've been or what you've done, God can make you new. He is a forgiving God and He wants you to trust Him with your life. When we trust Him, we become vessels to show His glory.

In Him we find transformation.

Please, please, pretty please check out this song by Tenth Avenue North, "You Do All Things Well" You won't regret it.

If you are journeying through the Bible in a year with me, we start the book of Acts tomorrow!

A Work in Progress...A New Creation

From my faithful readers from the beginning, you might can tell that this does not look like my "While on the Deck" blog. Well,if you don't know, I like change so I decided to redesign my blog. I even decided to change my blog's name! I chose "From Chrysalis to Butterfly" to symbolize my life, especially my recent journey with Lyme Disease treatment. In the beginning, I was down in the dumps. Depressed. I went from to denial to anger...why me, God?! After I got over that roadblock, I gave it to God and said, "Your will be done....I trust you...no matter what I go through, You are good and always will be....despite the pain I feel, I still love you." Trust me, that was not an easy thing to say. It took months to get to that point, but wow, when I reached that point my perspective changed. The pessimistic film over my eyes began to fade away and the optimistic flim took its place. I begin to see how God has used my disease to make me a better person in His eyes. He intricately planned out every detail. Through each situation I've faced and each person I've met, I have learned something new about myself or about God and His promises. All of this has led me to change my blog (plus, it has forced me to stay in bed and rest, so that's good ;) name to "From Chrysalis to Butterfly". In the beginning, I was wrapped up in myself and pessimis and through the journey I've changed and grown. Now, I'm definitely not a butterfly just yet My wings still need to grow I've still got a lot of work to do, but it is so encouraging to see how God has turned bad into good, by growing me into who He has called me to be. So my subtitle for my blog is "Transformation through Healing- trials, epiphanies & faith". Lately, I feel like I have "transformed" because I have started trying new things, like sewing, embrodiery, painting, DIY projects, reading new books, and more. Plus, my faith has grown! If I would'nt have gotten diagnosed and started treatment, I might never have tried these things and grown in my faith. The best part of this is that through this time of growth, God is healing me. He is healing me in so many ways, physically, mentally, spiritually, and I know that He is preparing me for things to come. When I was redesigning my blog, I was trying to think of a verse that I could use to go with my theme and the verse that poppped into my mind was 2 Corinthians 5:17. I loveee this verse! In fact, when I was a small group leader I made the girls memorize this verse (girls, if you are reading, you better remember the verse!). So I decided to put the verse on my background as a reminder to all of you (and me). A reminder that God can make you new. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" He makes us new when we put our faith and trust in Him. If you're facing a trial, trust in Him and let him transform you into a new creation. If you're not facing trial, remember that you are a new creation. Your mistakes, regrets, doubts are wiped away when you put your faith in Him. He makes you new. What an awesome truth! On top of that, Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." "In all things", God will work for the good no matter what. The good in my Lyme Disease journey is that He has opened my eyes to new things, taught (still teaching) me patience and trust, led me to wonderful people, and I probably could keep listing. God is transforming and healing me through this journey. Anyway, the main idea of this post is to remind you that you are a new creation or you can be! It may sound like a "New Year Resolution" type of entry, but the great news is that we don't need a new year to change our ways. We can be a new creation now! God can make us new, anytime, any place, as long as we put our trust in Him and believe the promises He has given us. So here is my question for you...are you a new creation? Can you feel God transforming you? If not, you can. Just let Him know that you trust in Him and want to give your life as an offering. Trust me, no matter what situation you are in, God can make it better!

Why me?! Part Two

So in my last blog, I talked about how when bad things happen we (or I) tend to wonder "why me?!". Also, I talked about how life isn't supposed to be easy...it really isn't. So what do we do when we face a road block? Well we have 2 choices...let it stop us from living and grow angry OR we can overcome it and find joy. During my Lyme journey and other times in my life, I have faced a road block and had to choose. There have been times when I have chosen the first one and others when I've chosen the latter. In the beginning of my Lyme journey I chose the first, but now I am choosing the second. Enough about me, because I've said from the beginning I don't want this blog to be totally about me! I believe that God turns the bad into good. My Lyme disease is a bad thing, but I have already seen how God is working through it. I need to embrace it. I need to use it. Think of the tough times that you have faced. Which decision did you make? Whether you believe in God or not, don't let tough times defeat you! Pick yourself up and keep truckin! Philippians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God wants us to use whatever situation we face to show His love, grace, and mercy to others! So I look at it this way...we shouldn't stay in a cocoon, but we should be a butterfly! I definitely think God is teaching me a lot through this journey and I can't wait to see what he does with it! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" So think about about how you can make your trials into triumphs! Be blessed today :)