Because He Came, I Have a Mission

Over 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son, Jesus on a mission. He was to come to earth as a helpless Babe, put aside His deity, and live a sinless life among the common people. When the time was right, Jesus would sacrifice Himself and pay the price for sin for those who would accept Him. He then would be resurrected, present Himself to over 500 people who saw Him after His death. He then would ascend to heaven to stay at the right hand of the Father and intercede for those who would become his followers.

Before He ascended, He left a challenge, a mission, if you will, to everyone who would become His disciple.

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

The mission? Go and make disciples, and teach them to obey His commandments. 

Because He came, each believer has a mission. In whatever ways the Lord leads us, our main goal as a believer is to influence others to become a disciple of Christ and to teach them obeidence, mainly by our example. 

It's a big job, but He promised to be with us.

Ever since 2012, each December, I've been doing a series of posts titled Because He Came. In these posts, I examine the difference the birth of Christ makes in our world.

After doing variations of this so many years, it is interesting that new ideas present itself. I have three new thoughts I will be discussing in 2025, one of which is today's thoughts on citizenship. If you'd like to read a recap of earlier years with links to all the posts, check out, "Redeemed and Adopted Because He Came." 

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

~~

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Could you take a small break and enter in the comments what types of posts you would like to see on the Journey in 2026. More bible studies? More essays and thoughts of daily life? Or, more scripture-bassed prayers? I'm here to serve you.

Because He Came, My Citizenship Changed.

Did you know believers in Jesus Christ are considered temporarary residents?

It's true. When Peter was writing to the the early Christians who had left Jerusalem because of persecution, he said this:

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 1 Peter 2:11 NLT

The writer of Hebrews also wrote on the theme of believers being aliens:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13 KJV

My point is this: because Christ came, people had an opportunity to accept the gift of salvation. Once they received that gift, they became beings who would live forever. They became children of God who have an inheritance and have an eternal home waiting on them to finish their journey here on earth.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. John 6:47 NKJV

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:12 NKJV

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3 NKJV

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:20 New Living Translation

Because He came, you can become a citizen of heaven. Seems like the greatest gift ever!

Ever since 2012, each December, I've been doing a series of posts titled Because He Came. In these posts, I examine the difference the birth of Christ makes in our world.

After doing variations of this so many years, it is interesting that new ideas present itself. I have three new thoughts I will be discussing in 2025, one of which is today's thoughts on citizenship. If you'd like to read a recap of earlier years with links to all the posts, check out, "Redeemed and Adopted Because He Came." 

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

~~

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Could you take a small break and enter in the comments what types of posts you would like to see on the Journey in 2026. More bible studies? More essays and thoughts of daily life? Or, more scripture-bassed prayers? I'm here to serve you.

Because He Came ... Revisited

For years now, I always think how it would be at Christmas time if Jesus had never came to earth ... I know life would not be near as bright and hope-filled as it is. There would be no sweet little Christmas plays with toddlers playing Mary and Joseph.

It would be a dark world indeed. 

But He DID come. Just like scripture said He would.

Just like He came after years of prophecy, He will come again in the near future and fulfill every word ever prophesied about Him. I want to be ready when it happens.

Please look below for links to more of my ideas how things would be different if Jesus had never came ...

Because He Came ... the words of Isaiah came true.

Isaiah 61:1-2 Version (NKJV)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

Isaiah spoke this approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ.

Luke 4:16-21 (NKJV)

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

There are many stories in the New Testament that prove Jesus did what He came to do.  How could Isaiah have known 700 years before that Jesus would heal the blind and set free those that Satan had oppressed? He knew because the Holy Spirit revealed it.

On this Christmas morning, over two thousand years after He came, my prayer is that you have the faith to accept what a wonderful gift we received ... Because He Came!

~~~

Click on each day's link to read a new reason to praise because He came:

Day 1 - I Have Life Everlasting

Day 2 - I Have Abundant Life

Day 3 - I Have Peace

Day 4 - I'm Not the Old Me

Day 5 - There is Healing

Day 6 - I Can Be Strong

Day 7 - I Have Someone Who Understands

Day 8 - I Have Someone Praying for Me

Day 9 - I Can Be Fruitful

Day 10 - I Have An Advocate

Day 11 - I Have a Shepherd

Day 12 - I Have a Burden-Bearer

Day 13 - The Broken Heart Can Heal

Day 14 - I Have What I Need

Day 15 - I Have a Friend

Day 16 - I Have a Big Brother

Day 17 - I Know the Truth

Day 18 - I Have Light

Day 19 - I Have My Everything

Day 20 - We Have Superfood!

Day 21 - I Have a Precious Stone

Day 22 - Time off - no post!

Day 23 - Time off - no post!

Day 24 - I Have Living Water

Day 25 - Prophecy Was Fulfilled



 

Because He Came 2021- Fulfilled

On this lovely morning when we celebrate when God put on flesh and moved into our neighborhood, I just wanted to take a moment to stop and thank my readers for being on the journey with me. 

I'm on a journey with my Forever Home being my destination, and becoming more Christlike along the way, thanks to His molding and shaping. (It's certainly not me!)

I'm praying all of you are on that same journey, and that perhaps God can use me to encourage you. Just as what God said all those thousands of years ago came true, so will His promise of coming again and taking His church to be with Him forever. 

Maranatha! (Come, our Lord!)

Merry Christmas!

BECAUSE HE CAME ... THE WORDS OF ISAIAH CAME TRUE.

Isaiah 61:1-2 Version (NKJV)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who arebound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

Isaiah spoke this approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ.

Luke 4:16-21 (NKJV)

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

There are many stories in the New Testament that prove Jesus did what He came to do.  How could Isaiah have known 700 years before that Jesus would heal the blind and set free those that Satan had oppressed? He knew because the Holy Spirit revealed it.

On this Christmas morning, over two thousand years after He came, my prayer is that you have the faith to accept what a wonderful gift we received ... Because He Came!

(adapted from earlier post)

Because He Came 2021-Defender

If He had never come; who would say this for you: 

BECAUSE HE CAME ... I HAVE AN ADVOCATE.

1 John 2:1 New Living Translation (NLT)  My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

Easton's Bible Dictionary defines the Greek word translated advocate like this:

(Gr. parakletos), one who pleads another's cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him.

One of the perks of being a child of God is you can have a defender, not a public defender; but the finest legal talent ever,  the One who wrote the law. And the one whose mercy paid all the penalties.

Think about it - the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is on YOUR side!

He can approach Father God and say, "She's one of mine; so I already paid for her crimes."

Case closed.

During the month of December, I'm adapting a few of my 2012 series, "Because He Came" posts for your Advent reflections. These are short and sweet, but give food for thought for the whole day.

You can go here to see a list of the original posts in the series.

~~

You're invited to check out my other blog, Jerralea.com and read my latest post, Announcement: Your Rescuer is Here.

I'm linking this post to the community at InstaEncouragements Link-up

*All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy.

Because He Came 2021 - I Can Follow

What direction would your life have taken had He never came?

BECAUSE HE CAME ... I HAVE A SHEPHERD WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ME.

 

John 10:11 (NKJV)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

John 10:26-28 (NKJV)

But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand

The bible often compares us to sheep and our relation to Jesus as a shepherd.  The truth is we are lost and don't know where to go without being led. We're notorious for making bad decisions and following just anybody.  But we can know His voice and rest in the fact that He will never lead us astray.  He will never allow the enemy to take us.

John 10:28 VOICE

I give them a life that is unceasing, and death will not have the last word. Nothing or no one can steal them from My hand.

During the month of December, I'm adapting a few of my 2012 series, "Because He Came" posts for your Advent reflections. These are short and sweet, but give food for thought for the whole day.

You can go here to see a list of the original posts in the series.

~~

You're invited to check out my other blog, Jerralea.com and read my latest post, There's Someone Knocking at the Door.

*All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy.

Because He Came 2021 - Abundance

Have you ever considered how might things have been different if He'd never came?

 

BECAUSE HE CAME ... I HAVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE.

In 2012, I focused on this version of John 10:10 -

John 10:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

But now in 2021, I want to share The Passion Translation of the same verse:

John 10:10 The Passion Translation (TPT)

A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! 

An abundance until you overflow!

This does not necessarily mean physical abundance,although sometimes God sees fit to bless in this manner. It means you have abundant life in the things that matter: love, peace, joy and the calm assurance of knowing that you are never alone.  He walks with you in good times and bad.

Why would you want to live any other way?

~~~

During the month of December, I'm adapting a few of my 2012 series, "Because He Came" posts for your Advent reflections. These are short and sweet, but give food for thought for the whole day.

You can go here to see a list of the original posts in the series.

~~

I'm linking this post to Tell His Story and InstaEncouragements Link-Up, Recharge Wednesday, and Let's Have Coffee

You're invited to check out my new blog, Jerralea.com and read my latest post, There's Someone Knocking at the Door.

Because He Came 2021 - I'm New

How might things have been different if He'd never came?

Because He Came ... 

       I'm not the "old" me

When I accept Christ as my Savior, He makes me all new. My focus and my desires in life have all changed. Sure, I might still look like me, but if I still act the same way, I need to go back to the cross and make sure I've really repented.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

~~~

During the month of December, I'm adapting a few of  my 2012 series, "Because He Came" posts for your Advent reflections. These are short and sweet, but are food for thought for the whole day!

You can go here to see a list of the original posts in the series.

~~

I'm linking this post to Let's Have Coffee, Tune In Thursday

You're invited to check out my new blog, Jerralea.com and read my latest post, There's Someone Knocking at the Door.

*All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy.

Prophecy came true ... Advent Reflections

On this lovely morning when we celebrate when God put on flesh and moved into our neighborhood, I just wanted to take a moment to stop and thank my readers for being on the journey with me. 

I'm on a journey with my Forever Home being my destination, and becoming more Christlike along the way, thanks to His molding and shaping. (It's certainly not me!)

I'm praying all of you are on that same journey, and that perhaps God can use me to encourage you. Just as what God said all those thousands of years ago came true, so will His promise of coming again and taking His church to be with Him forever. 

Maranatha! (Come, our Lord!)

Merry Christmas!

BECAUSE HE CAME ... THE WORDS OF ISAIAH CAME TRUE.

Isaiah 61:1-2 Version (NKJV)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who arebound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

Isaiah spoke this approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ.

Luke 4:16-21 (NKJV)

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

There are many stories in the New Testament that prove Jesus did what He came to do.  How could Isaiah have known 700 years before that Jesus would heal the blind and set free those that Satan had oppressed? He knew because the Holy Spirit revealed it.

On this Christmas morning, over two thousand years after He came, my prayer is that you have the faith to accept what a wonderful gift we received ... Because He Came! 

~~~

During the month of December, the Journey will be taking a hiatus. I'm adapting some of my 2012 series, "Because He Came" posts for your Advent reflections.


Short but sweet, these devotional thoughts pack a punch of scripture followed by the realization, "Hey! I only have this blessing because He came and dwelt among men!"

He brought abundance ... Advent Reflections

BECAUSE HE CAME ... I HAVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE.

John 10:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

This does not necessarily mean physical abundance, although sometimes God sees fit to bless in this manner. It means you have abundant life in the things that matter:  love, peace, joy and the calm assurance of knowing that you are never alone.  He walks with you in good times and bad.

Why would you want to live any other way?

~~~

During the month of December, the Journey will be taking a hiatus. I'm adapting some of my 2012 series, "Because He Came" posts for your Advent reflections.

Short but sweet, these devotional thoughts pack a punch of scripture followed by the realization, "Hey! I only have this blessing because He came and dwelt among men!"

Linking up with Inspire Me Monday.

A thirst-quenching gift ... Advent Reflections

BECAUSE HE CAME .... THERE IS LIVING WATER TO DRINK.

John 4:10 (NKJV)

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

There is only one thing that quenches our soul-thirst. Worldly fame and acclaim can't do it. Fame is fleeting. Do you really want to devote your whole life to chasing it?

Money can't quench your thirst because we all know there are things money can't buy.

There is no peace like knowing your name is written in the Lamb's book of life.

The privilege of coming to Him is a gift.  Let it be one that you accept this season.

~~~

During the month of December, the Journey will be taking a hiatus. I'm adapting some of my 2012 series, "Because He Came" posts for your Advent reflections.

Short but sweet, these devotional thoughts pack a punch of scripture followed by the realization, "Hey! I only have this blessing because He came and dwelt among men!"

Linking up with Grace&Truth.