Genesis 1:29
Fruit Dip
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T vanilla
- Mix all ingredients well.
- Serve with your choice of fresh fruit. (We prefer strawberries!)
Honeydew and strawberry...the pale green and bright red complement each other wonderfully. Just think..such beautiful fruits grow out of the dirt. They're so sweet and juicy and delicious. How marvelous it is that God has blessed us with such a large variety of fruits. He could have just given us one food to use for sustenance yet He decided to give us a diverse selection. There is one thing in common with all the food He provides - it all comes from the ground. So since everything in a candy bar technically comes from plants, does that mean it's healthy?! The chocolate from a cacao tree, the peanuts from a peanut plant, the sugar from sugarcane, etc. Thank the Lord for His provisions!! May we use it all for His glory!! "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of the tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Genesis 1:29 The fruit that God has so generously given to us is great by itself, but it's also delicious with this dip on it. Some of my family will rarely eat fruit unless it is covered in some sort of extra sweetness...which doesn't hurt. :) This recipe is very quick and easy, plus it tastes good enough to eat by itself. Fruit Dip
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As we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection, let's remember what it meant for us. Let's remember all that He endured for us...all the things that eventually brought Him to the point of death...then resurrection!! May we keep our eyes focused on what truly matters - our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!! Our whole life should be centered around Him! When presenting the Gospel, many times people leave out the glorious resurrection. I've been guilty of this as well, but we must remember the significance of Jesus' resurrection. Our faith rests on the very truth that Jesus rose from the dead. "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14). Without the resurrection, we would be serving a dead Savior, but Jesus conquered death! The sepulchre couldn't hold Him! Jesus is alive! Alive forevermore! Jesus willingly came to this wretched world. "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:8). He knew what He was getting Himself into. He knew He would be hated, betrayed, and mocked. He knew He would suffer and die on the cross. He was reviled so horribly yet He never once sinned. His perfect love for us is what kept Him on that cross. He endured the torture from those He loved deeply just so every one of us could have the opportunity to live with Him for eternity. He died on the cross and was put in the grave. Three days later...He arose! He lived once again and appeared to His disciples. Later, after He told His disciples what to do while He was gone, The Lord Jesus ascended to heaven to be with God the Father. That is were He resides, waiting to bring His sheep Home. If He didn't resurrect, then He would still be in that grave. But, no. "He is risen" (Matthew 28:6). We serve a living God! He saved us from sin and He gives us the choice of accepting His gift. Thank the Lord for overcoming death so that we might live! Praise God!! We have a living Savior!! Happy Resurrection Day! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 There's a story of a major sacrifice which begins with a man taking his son to work one day. He worked at a drawbridge, controlling when it went up so boats could pass trough under it or so trains could travel across it. They decided to have lunch when suddenly the man heard a train coming so he told his boy to stay there while he went to put the bridge down. The boy decided to follow his dad instead but fell and got stuck in the gears. the father didn't know what to do - put the bridge down so the train could safely pass through or leave it up so his son could live. He decided to save the hundreds of people on the train, thus killing his son. He saw the passengers inside the train living merrily as if nothing happened, but he wanted to scream to them how he just killed his own son to save their lives. Similarly, God sacrificed His only Son to save us all from our sins. Many people are acting just like the train passengers - not even caring about the major sacrifice made for them. We all should accept this free gift. If someone handed us a free gift, we'd most likely take it. Why not take the gift that God has for us? It's so much better than any material thing we could receive. He is offering us the gift of eternal life. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Let's not ignore this most wonderful sacrifice the Lord God has made for us. Let's show our love for Him and continually thank Him for the deep love He has for us. He has truly sacrificed so much for His lowly, sinful creation.
We should daily remember the sacrifice that Christ has made for us, not only on Good Friday. Yet today is the day set aside to celebrate it, we should always celebrate it in our hearts. May we never cease to thank God for the ultimate sacrifice He has made for us through Jesus Christ the Lord. "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Luke 24:44 Old Testament prophecies, concerning Jesus Christ, fulfilled in the New Testament:
Prophecy - "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth." (Isaiah 53:7) Fulfilled - "And when He was accused of the chief priests and elders, He said nothing." (Matthew 27:12) Prophecy - "And He was numbered with the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12) Fulfilled - "Then were there two thieves crucified with them." (Matthew 27:38) Prophecy - "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) Fulfilled - "His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child." (Matthew 1:18) Prophecy - "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1) Fulfilled - "Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) Prophecy - "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." (Psalm 22:18) Fulfilled - "And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots." (Matthew 27:35) Prophecy - "All they that see me laugh me to scorn...saying, He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him." (Psalm 22:7-8) Fulfilled - "And the rulers also with them, derided Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself...and the soldiers also mocked Him." (Luke 23:35-36) Prophecy - "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalm 69:21) Fulfilled - "They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall." (Matthew 27:34) Prophecy - "Bethlehem...out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel." (Micah 5:2) Fulfilled - "Bethlehem...and she brought forth her firstborn son." (Luke 2:4,7) Prophecy - "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:11) Fulfilled - "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) Prophecy - "Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." (Psalm 16:10) Fulfilled - "Neither His flesh did see corruption." (Acts 2:31) Prophecy - "He keepeth all His bones: not one of them is broken." (Psalm 34:20) Fulfilled - "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs." (John 19:33) Also notice the similarities between Noah's ark and Jesus. The ark saved those inside from the flood just as Jesus saves those who accept Him from sin. So many people didn't believe that the Flood was coming just like so many people don't believe that they're living in sin. Jesus is our ark - may we rest in Him. So many prophecies from the Old Testament have been fulfilled. So many prophecies from the New Testament have been fulfilled and there are some that will be fulfilled in the near future. All of God's prophecies will be fulfilled. When He makes a promise, He is faithful to His Word. So many detailed prophecies have been accurately fulfilled. How can people even think that a man came up with the Bible? How could a man thousands of years ago so accurately make up prophecies that are being fulfilled in modern times? It's completely impossible without God. The Bible is written by men, but these men have been inspired by God. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). We should believe everything that is in the Bible because it's all true. Thank the Lord for His faithfulness! He uses His prophecies to inform us of the past, present, and future. May we believe all prophecies given from God, for He tells us to "despise not prophesyings" (1 Thessalonians 5:20). There are still some prophecies that need to be fulfilled but some are being fulfilled right now (Matthew 24:3-13). "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4:21). "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7 Our thought life determines what our heart looks like. If you have a good mind, then you have a good heart. If you have a bad mind, then you have a bad heart. The heart is a reflection of the mind and actions are the reflection of the heart. Our thoughts lead to our actions; our actions lead to our habits; our habits lead to our character; our character leads to our lifestyle. Having bad thoughts will ultimately lead to an ungodly lifestyle. We must keep our mind under control. It would be wise to stay away from wickedness so our thoughts aren't wicked. If there is a wicked thought, then we should replace it with a good thought. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8). Every once in a while a bad thought might pop into our head, but we must refrain from dwelling on it. This quote puts it nicely - "You can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep a bird from building a nest on your head." Other people may not be able to read our mind, but God always knows our thoughts. Are we thinking of things that are pleasing to the Lord? May we always think on things that will honor Him.
These are quick and easy Easter cookies. No-bake cookies are delicious enough, but when you add Cadbury eggs to them, they're just about irresistible. They'd look cute for Easter tea parties, fellowship dinners, or just sitting on a plate at home. No-Bake Easter Cookies
Our usual recipe doesn't have oatmeal or coconut in the cookie. They look more like puddles of mud, but they have such a smooth texture and are very moist. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3 "And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment." Luke 7:38 It seems to me that Mary just had a flood of emotions. She, a sinner, in the presence of Jesus Himself. She began crying and washing His feet with her own tears and wiping them with her hair. She kissed them and anointed them with ointment. Oh, what a wonderful feeling it would be to wash the feet of Christ! Judas got after her about wasting such expensive ointment when she could have sold it and given the money to the poor. Jesus told him the "let her alone" (John 12:7) because it was for His burying. He reminded Judas that the poor will always be with them. One of the Pharisees thought that if Jesus was a prophet, then He wouldn't have let a sinner touch Him. So Jesus responded with a parable, then He explained, " Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest Me no water for my feet: but she hath washed My feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in lath not ceased to kiss My feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment" (Luke 7:44-46). Jesus forgave Mary of her sins and told her, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" (Luke 7:50). What would you do if in the presence of Christ? Would you react like the Pharisee did or as Mary did? I really enjoy this dessert and have make it twice within three days' time. It's so light and lemony and delicious. I find that this is a very fast and easy dessert to make when you want something sweet and light. The best thing is that you don't have to wait for it to cool, but it's just as good (if not better) after it's refrigerated. Lemon Custard Cake (Gluten Free)
The original recipe called for flour but I decided to make it gluten free since my mom has celiacs. If you want the top to be more cake-like, then exchange the cornstarch with flour and don't put in the baking powder. If you want the top to be more meringue-like, then reduce the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon. I also doubled the recipe and used a 9x13 dish. Finished Product: A smooth lemon custard with a soft top layer which will eventually be dusted with powdered sugar. Simply delicious! "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." Psalm 34:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8 God reveals His grace to us by giving us what we don't deserve. We don't deserve such a beautiful earth and a plentiful supply of food, yet God has so lovingly blessed us with it. We are no where near worthy enough to be given salvation, yet He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins. It is all because of God's wonderful grace. The best part - it's free! Ephesians 2:8 says that we're saved by grace if we have faith. There's no other way to get salvation other than by the grace of God. We don't deserve it and we can't save ourselves no matter how hard we try. It truly is "the gift of God" (Eph 2:8). His grace is never in vain. "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace that bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). God's grace is powerful. Let's never take it for granted. "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). The Lord so generously blesses us with much more than we deserve. Through His grace, He shows us His incredible love. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). He left His riches to become poor and take on the role of a lowly servant. God's grace is so amazing - and we don't even deserve it. "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear. And grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed." ~John Newton "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23 God displays His mercy when He doesn't give us what we rightly deserve. All mankind deserves death and an eternity of suffering, but He so lovingly doesn't give us what we deserve if we live for Him. We will have a physical death but through His mercies and salvation, we won't receive the dreaded second death that we do deserve. Psalm 136 tells us repeatedly that God's mercies will always be. " O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever" (Psalm 136:1). We're reminded numerous times throughout the Scriptures of the Lord's unfailing mercies to us. Psalm 78: 12-56 lists many different ways that the Lord has shown His mercy. God is both "plenteous in mercy" (Psalm 86:5) and "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4). Psalm 117:2 tells us that "His merciful kindness is great toward us." Thank the Lord for His abundant mercy!! We should be merciful as He is. Colossians 3:12 says that Christians should have "bowels of mercy." The good Samaritan in Luke 10 is an excellent example of this. According to Luke 6:27-28, we are to do good to those who mistreat us. When we forgive and love our enemies (or anyone for that matter) then we're having mercy on them. We can show mercy through compassion and kindness. We can even show it by not fighting with a family member when things don't seem fair. We wouldn't be causing hurt feelings for the other person or for ourselves. "The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh" (Proverbs 11:17). Matthew 5:7 tells us that the merciful will be blessed and others will have mercy on them. We serve such a wonderful, merciful God. We should be both merciful and forgiving towards others, after all, God is merciful and forgiving towards us. Let's show His mercy through loving actions toward others. "Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand has provided - Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!" ~Thomas Chisholm |
Emily NicoleI'm a twenty one year old Christian saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Praise the great name of our glorious Savior!! Categories
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"Until tomorrow...
Go serve your King!" ~Todd Friel |