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Come And Reason Ministries Teams Up With Heartwise Ministries

HeartWise Ministries, located in Chattanooga, TN, is dedicated to helping God’s children find the Biblical truth in this over-marketed society. Because they have no affiliations, they are a unique ministry in today’s world for those seeking this truth that leads to love, which is the ultimate path to healing for both the physical body and spiritual self. To this end Heartwise has invited Dr. Tim Jennings, President of Come And Reason Ministires, to participate as a guest speaker and blogger. You can follow Dr. Jennings blogs on the Heartwise website at HeartwiseMinistires.org and view his television appearances by going to Come And Reason's media center > video menu.

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THREE BEAN CHILI *

Cumin and paprika add earthy flavor to this marvelous meatless chili. Serve with a hearty salad and corn bread or corn muffins.  This is one of my favorite meals!

Equipment:

Chopping Board
Baking Sheet
Large Soup Pot

Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and 1/2 inch cubed
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler.  Cut bell peppers in half length-wise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes.  Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Broil 15 minutes or until blackened.  Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag; seal.  Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and chop peppers. Set aside.
2. Heat a large soup pan over medium-low heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add onion; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, salt and garlic cloves; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add bell peppers, broth, squash and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add beans; simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with green onions to serve.

* from Cooking Light, January/February 2010

This week in my devotional I came across the following quotation from one of the founders of my church:

Christ came to manifest the love of God to the world, to draw the hearts of all men to Himself. He said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). The first step toward salvation is to respond to the drawing of the love of Christ. God sends message after message to men, entreating them to repentance, that He may forgive, and write pardon against their names. Shall there be no repentance? Shall His appeals be unheeded? Shall His overtures of mercy be ignored, and His love utterly rejected? Oh, then man will cut himself off from the medium through which he may gain life eternal; for God only pardons the penitent! By the manifestation of His love, by the entreating of His Spirit, He woos men to repentance; for repentance is the gift of God, and whom He pardons He first makes penitent. The sweetest joy comes to man through his sincere repentance toward God for the transgression of His law, and through faith in Christ as the sinner's Redeemer and Advocate. It is that men may understand the joy of forgiveness, the peace of God, that Christ draws them through the manifestation of His love. If they respond to His drawing, yielding their hearts to His grace, He will lead them on step by step, to a full knowledge of Himself, and this is life eternal.  {1SM 323.2} 

What do you hear in this passage? First, God is for us! God is intervening to reveal Himself to us in love, to draw us, encourage us, woo us, bring us to the point that we trust Him again with our lives. He is working to get us to experience a change in heart from one who is at war with God to one who loves and trusts God.

It is commonly taught in Christianity that God declares those righteous who are not righteous, that He legally pardons people who are not yet transformed. Yet, this author makes a powerful point that only those who experience a change of heart, repentance, are pardoned of God.

This is exactly what is taught in Romans chapter four when Paul states that because Abraham trusted God, God recognized, accounted, or declared him to be righteous. Our natural hearts are opposed to God, at war with Him and His principles and do not trust Him. (Rom 8:7) When one is wooed by God to the point that they repent and surrender in trust to Him, the heart is changed and it is then that a person is recognized as right with God, or righteous.

God never declares someone right with Him who is still His enemy in heart. And what is the method God uses to bring us to repentance, to change our hearts, to put us right with Him? It is a revelation of His character of love! We shall know the truth, the truth about God, and the truth will set us free!

It is our privilege to be His agents to share the truth of God’s character of love with others and thus share the knowledge of God, which brings people to repentance, transformation of heart, and rightness with God! We invite you to join us in sharing the truth about God’s character of love with the world.