"Greetings in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for 18 November 2011"
Today's Blog Title: "The Life Jesus Gives Us is Eternal"
Today's Scripture Reading: John 3:1-32
Today's Key Verse: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would NOT perish, but have everlasting life."
The fact that Jesus did perform miracles was beyond dispute. This brought a Pharisee named Nicodemus by night to question Jesus. Unlike the the other Pharisees who came to Jesus with closed hearts, Nicodemus came to Jesus with a open mind, ready to listen to Jesus whose miracles suggested God intended to give a new revelation through Him. Jesus stunned Nicodemus by saying that before any spiritual questions can be dealt with a man must be "born again". Even though the concept of spiritual rebirth has roots in the Old Testament, Nicodemus was totally confused .
To be "born again" God acts supernaturally to make us His children. The spiritual life He infuses leads to moral transformation and enables us to love God and others. As a natural birth begins our life here on this earth, so spiritual birth brings us into the spiritual world and makes us God's "born ones". Jesus challenges Nicodemus to accept Christ's testimony and goes on to explain the awesome cost to God of making eternal life available to mankind.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that He would be lifted up. Everytime the words lifted up occur in the Gospel of John there is a reference to Jesus death. When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, those who looked at it lived. All of us are helpless before the deadly curse of sin. In lifting Christ up on the Cross, also a symbol of judgement, God makes Him the object of faith.
In the first century one word for "love", agape, was quite weak, expressing only fondness. The writers of the New Testament picked and used the word "love" and infused it with a new and stunning meaning. 1 John 4:9 says, ''This is how God showed His love....He send His one only Son into the world that we might live through Him." God chose to love sinners. God expressed His Love in self-sacrifice. Christ incarnate and crucified forever givens meaning to the phrase, "God is love" and fills us with awe as we realize, "God loves me".
Salvation is an issue of "BELIEF" or "UNBELIEF": ONLY BY TRUST in the Son of God can those who are "CONDEMNED ALREADY" pass from DEATH to LIFE.
Now John in this Chapter introduces another witness to the truth Jesus has presented: John the Baptist. By divine revelation John confirms what Christ has said and Christ's miracles have attested. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son remains under the wrath of God.
Today's Hymn: "Pass Me O Gentle Savior"
Pass me not O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry
While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by
Let me at Thy throne of mercy, Find a sweet relief
Kneeling there in deep contrition Help my unbelief
Trusting only in Thy merit, Would I seek Thy face
Heal my wounded broken spirit, Save me by Thy grace
Thou the spring of all my comfort, More than life to me
Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heaven but Thee?
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry
While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by
Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit how thankful we are that we have such a Loving, Merciful, and Gracious God, whom loved us so much that he would send His only Son to this earth and sacrifice Him upon the Cross of Calvary where He shed His living giving Blood to wash us from our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thank you Jesus that at the moment of the confession of our sins that You send to us the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit who leads us, teaches us and walks with us that we might walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
Amen
Today's Biblical Truth: "The ultimate reason that people don't come to Christ is because they do not want to."
Click on the link at www.cindi-davis.blogspot.com for Today's Bible Verse from Exodus 3:5.
Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day. Go in Peace and Serve the Lord our God with Gladness. Love God More Today. Pray for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are being persecuted for there Faith and Trust in our Savior Jesus Christ. Also pray for the Nation of Israel. Always remember that when you have a spiritual dilemma in your life and you yell out, "I CAN'T", God Whispers to you, "BUT I CAN".
"As for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him." Psalm 18:30
Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi
Today's Blog Title: "The Life Jesus Gives Us is Eternal"
Today's Scripture Reading: John 3:1-32
Today's Key Verse: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would NOT perish, but have everlasting life."
The fact that Jesus did perform miracles was beyond dispute. This brought a Pharisee named Nicodemus by night to question Jesus. Unlike the the other Pharisees who came to Jesus with closed hearts, Nicodemus came to Jesus with a open mind, ready to listen to Jesus whose miracles suggested God intended to give a new revelation through Him. Jesus stunned Nicodemus by saying that before any spiritual questions can be dealt with a man must be "born again". Even though the concept of spiritual rebirth has roots in the Old Testament, Nicodemus was totally confused .
To be "born again" God acts supernaturally to make us His children. The spiritual life He infuses leads to moral transformation and enables us to love God and others. As a natural birth begins our life here on this earth, so spiritual birth brings us into the spiritual world and makes us God's "born ones". Jesus challenges Nicodemus to accept Christ's testimony and goes on to explain the awesome cost to God of making eternal life available to mankind.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that He would be lifted up. Everytime the words lifted up occur in the Gospel of John there is a reference to Jesus death. When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, those who looked at it lived. All of us are helpless before the deadly curse of sin. In lifting Christ up on the Cross, also a symbol of judgement, God makes Him the object of faith.
In the first century one word for "love", agape, was quite weak, expressing only fondness. The writers of the New Testament picked and used the word "love" and infused it with a new and stunning meaning. 1 John 4:9 says, ''This is how God showed His love....He send His one only Son into the world that we might live through Him." God chose to love sinners. God expressed His Love in self-sacrifice. Christ incarnate and crucified forever givens meaning to the phrase, "God is love" and fills us with awe as we realize, "God loves me".
Salvation is an issue of "BELIEF" or "UNBELIEF": ONLY BY TRUST in the Son of God can those who are "CONDEMNED ALREADY" pass from DEATH to LIFE.
Now John in this Chapter introduces another witness to the truth Jesus has presented: John the Baptist. By divine revelation John confirms what Christ has said and Christ's miracles have attested. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son remains under the wrath of God.
Today's Hymn: "Pass Me O Gentle Savior"
Pass me not O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry
While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by
Let me at Thy throne of mercy, Find a sweet relief
Kneeling there in deep contrition Help my unbelief
Trusting only in Thy merit, Would I seek Thy face
Heal my wounded broken spirit, Save me by Thy grace
Thou the spring of all my comfort, More than life to me
Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heaven but Thee?
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry
While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by
Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit how thankful we are that we have such a Loving, Merciful, and Gracious God, whom loved us so much that he would send His only Son to this earth and sacrifice Him upon the Cross of Calvary where He shed His living giving Blood to wash us from our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thank you Jesus that at the moment of the confession of our sins that You send to us the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit who leads us, teaches us and walks with us that we might walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
Amen
Today's Biblical Truth: "The ultimate reason that people don't come to Christ is because they do not want to."
Click on the link at www.cindi-davis.blogspot.com for Today's Bible Verse from Exodus 3:5.
Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day. Go in Peace and Serve the Lord our God with Gladness. Love God More Today. Pray for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are being persecuted for there Faith and Trust in our Savior Jesus Christ. Also pray for the Nation of Israel. Always remember that when you have a spiritual dilemma in your life and you yell out, "I CAN'T", God Whispers to you, "BUT I CAN".
"As for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him." Psalm 18:30
Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi
No comments:
Post a Comment