Key Verse: "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4:34
Why Is Jesus Talking to That Woman?
27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
Could This Be The Messiah?
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
The Food Jesus That Jesus Cared About Most!
31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" 34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Harvest The Crops For Eternal Life! Now!
35Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
The Samaritans Believe that Jesus is the Savior!
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
Fred's Commentary:
As I read this passage I am challenged. The question for me is this: Do I care about lost souls more than I care about satisfying my natural hunger. Do I care about lost souls more than I care about satisfying my own needs. Do I care about lost souls more than I care about my own pleasure or comfort? Is My meat to do the will of God...the one who saved me and sent me out to do His will?
Let's Pray:
Father I admit with shame that too often my meat is really not to do the will of God by caring about lost souls! Too often, I am caught up in satisfying my own needs or doing the kingdom work that I really like to do. Give me your heart for lost souls. Give me a passion to tell people about you so that they, like the woman at the well can drop their "water pots" and run tell their friends that they have found the Savior.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
If you Only Knew Who You Were Speaking To!
Key Verse: Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (John 4:10, NIV)
Today’s Passage: John 4:1-24 (NIV)
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
The Divine Rest Stop 4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
Breaking Cultural Norms 9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Living Water
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
The Revelation 16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." 17"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
True Worship 21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
Jesus is the Messiah "25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Fred's Commentary: Have you ever met a very important person but at the time, had no idea who you were talking to? Maybe you misjudged them or put them off or ignored them. When you discovered who they were, your whole attitude changed. You might have even said, “I'm sorry, I didn't know who you were!”
Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well was not really about his thirst for water. It was really an opportunity for him to offer this woman the living water of eternal life! Initially she had no clue who she was talking to. She didn’t know she was talking to the Messiah! In fact the cultural norms of the day dictated that they would not even be speaking to each other at all! (He was a Jew, she was a Samaritan. He was man, she was a woman). Yet, he disregarded cultural norms and engaged her in a conversation about water. He said "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water". When Jesus began to reveal things about her life, she knew that she was dealing with no ordinary man! She soon learned that she was face to face with the Christ, the Messiah: Jesus told her: "I who speak to you am He!" He was not offering her physical water. He was offering her eternal life.”
Then that had a conversation about the proper place to worship. (The woman said "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."Jesus assured her that true worship is not about the place but more about having the right attitude and the right information. True worshipers are those who worship God in spirit (the right motivation and heart attitude) and in truth (according to the truth about God as found in his Word.)
Personal Application
As a follower of Christ you are no ordinary person. You carry in your heart and soul Jesus Christ, the Savior. That sets you apart and gives you a special responsibility. You are an ambassador of Christ. He expects us to share the good news of the Kingdom with the thirsty people around us. They are trying to quench their thirst will all kinds of worldly pleasures but their spiritual throats remain parched! They can only be satisfied by an encounter with Jesus by accepting Him as Lord and Savior!
Let’s Pray: Father, thank you for quenching my thirst by giving me eternal life. Now help me live my life in such a way that thirsty sinners will ask for the living water that I have. Make me a bold witness, approaching people I don’t normally approach and speaking up in ways I don’t usually speak up in order to offer the living water to people.
In Jesus Name! Amen.
To watch an interesting contemporary skit, go on this passage, go to
http://www.urbana09.org/videos.cfm
Scroll down to Day 5 and click on "The Landromat" The next video is a message on the same passage of scripture.
Today’s Passage: John 4:1-24 (NIV)
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
The Divine Rest Stop 4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
Breaking Cultural Norms 9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Living Water
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
The Revelation 16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." 17"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
True Worship 21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
Jesus is the Messiah "25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Fred's Commentary: Have you ever met a very important person but at the time, had no idea who you were talking to? Maybe you misjudged them or put them off or ignored them. When you discovered who they were, your whole attitude changed. You might have even said, “I'm sorry, I didn't know who you were!”
Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well was not really about his thirst for water. It was really an opportunity for him to offer this woman the living water of eternal life! Initially she had no clue who she was talking to. She didn’t know she was talking to the Messiah! In fact the cultural norms of the day dictated that they would not even be speaking to each other at all! (He was a Jew, she was a Samaritan. He was man, she was a woman). Yet, he disregarded cultural norms and engaged her in a conversation about water. He said "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water". When Jesus began to reveal things about her life, she knew that she was dealing with no ordinary man! She soon learned that she was face to face with the Christ, the Messiah: Jesus told her: "I who speak to you am He!" He was not offering her physical water. He was offering her eternal life.”
Then that had a conversation about the proper place to worship. (The woman said "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."Jesus assured her that true worship is not about the place but more about having the right attitude and the right information. True worshipers are those who worship God in spirit (the right motivation and heart attitude) and in truth (according to the truth about God as found in his Word.)
Personal Application
As a follower of Christ you are no ordinary person. You carry in your heart and soul Jesus Christ, the Savior. That sets you apart and gives you a special responsibility. You are an ambassador of Christ. He expects us to share the good news of the Kingdom with the thirsty people around us. They are trying to quench their thirst will all kinds of worldly pleasures but their spiritual throats remain parched! They can only be satisfied by an encounter with Jesus by accepting Him as Lord and Savior!
Let’s Pray: Father, thank you for quenching my thirst by giving me eternal life. Now help me live my life in such a way that thirsty sinners will ask for the living water that I have. Make me a bold witness, approaching people I don’t normally approach and speaking up in ways I don’t usually speak up in order to offer the living water to people.
In Jesus Name! Amen.
To watch an interesting contemporary skit, go on this passage, go to
http://www.urbana09.org/videos.cfm
Scroll down to Day 5 and click on "The Landromat" The next video is a message on the same passage of scripture.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Don't Reject Jesus! Accept Him and Gain Eternal Life! John 4:31-35
Notice what John the Baptist, the herald and forerunner of Jesus said about Jesus!
31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Here's what John the Baptist said about Jesus:
Jesus is above all.
Jesus came from heaven
Jesus testifies about what He has seen and heard
No one accepts His testimony
The man who accepts Jesus testimony certifies (acknowledges) that God is truthful
Jesus speaks the words of God for God gives the spirit without limit
Jesus is loved by the Father and the Father has put everything in Jesus hands
Believing in Jesus gives that person eternal life.
Rejection of Jesus brings death because the wrath of God remains on him
What John says about man.
The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth,
And he speaks as one from the earth
Men choose to accept or reject Jesus
Those who accept Him certifies(acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured) that God is truthful and that man has eternal life
Those who reject Jesus will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.
Fred's Commentary:
John's purpose for coming to earth was to prepare the way for the Messiah. It was important for Him to know that Jesus was the Messiah because he knew his days on earth were short. In this passage, we see that John clearly understood that Jesus was God (not just a man), that Jesus words were from God and those who believed in Him would have eternal life. John also clearly saw that the person who rejected Jesus life saving message were doomed to remain in the state of condemnation that they were born in.
Let's pray:
Father I thank you for sending, Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, God himself to preach the Gospel of the Good News of the Kingdom of God that I could be saved. Help me to declare this good news to others so that they too might have eternal life. In Jesus Name, Amen!
Now Click to the left and enjoy the video!
31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Here's what John the Baptist said about Jesus:
Jesus is above all.
Jesus came from heaven
Jesus testifies about what He has seen and heard
No one accepts His testimony
The man who accepts Jesus testimony certifies (acknowledges) that God is truthful
Jesus speaks the words of God for God gives the spirit without limit
Jesus is loved by the Father and the Father has put everything in Jesus hands
Believing in Jesus gives that person eternal life.
Rejection of Jesus brings death because the wrath of God remains on him
What John says about man.
The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth,
And he speaks as one from the earth
Men choose to accept or reject Jesus
Those who accept Him certifies(acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured) that God is truthful and that man has eternal life
Those who reject Jesus will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.
Fred's Commentary:
John's purpose for coming to earth was to prepare the way for the Messiah. It was important for Him to know that Jesus was the Messiah because he knew his days on earth were short. In this passage, we see that John clearly understood that Jesus was God (not just a man), that Jesus words were from God and those who believed in Him would have eternal life. John also clearly saw that the person who rejected Jesus life saving message were doomed to remain in the state of condemnation that they were born in.
Let's pray:
Father I thank you for sending, Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, God himself to preach the Gospel of the Good News of the Kingdom of God that I could be saved. Help me to declare this good news to others so that they too might have eternal life. In Jesus Name, Amen!
Now Click to the left and enjoy the video!
Monday, August 9, 2010
John the Baptist was Comfortable in His Own Skin: Are You?
It is remarkable to me how comfortable John the Baptist was in his own skin. He was not at all intimidated by the success of Jesus, even though Jesus success meant the demise of his own ministry.
Read John 4:22-30 below
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
Fred's Reflections:
By this time in John the Baptist's ministry, Jesus had already come on the scene and John the Baptist was near the end of his mission. One of the signs of this for John was the fact that Jesus must increase while he must decrease. Already, Jesus was beginning to Baptize people, something that John had been famous for. In fact one of John's disciples reported to him, "He(Jesus) is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." John's amazing response is instructive for us: He was not at all intimidated that Jesus was "stealing his thunder" and getting more attention. He could respond like this because John was very comfortable in his own role, gifts and calling. He said "a man can receive only what is given Him from heaven." He knew what he was called to do. He knew that Jesus would increase and that He would eventually decrease and leave the scene. He was comfortable in his own skin. He was confident of his own role and in his own calling. Jesus success in no way diminished John's purpose and calling. In fact, Jesus success actually confirmed his message and calling.
For us, the question becomes, do we know who we are in Christ. Do we know our gifts ans what we are called to do? Do we know our role in the body of Christ? If not, it is essential that we put down deep roots in Christ by spending time in the presence of the Lord: in prayer, in scripture, in meditation and by communing with His people in church and walking in obedience to what the Lord says. This will set us up to begin to know our role, calling and purpose in the body of Christ.
For those of us who have a clear sense of our calling, gifting and purpose, it is essential that we walk humbly before the Lord, being sensitive and obedient to Him,and honoring the gifts and callings of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The success of our brother or sister in no way diminishes our calling and purpose in the Lord. If it does, we might be struggling with insecurity, uncertainty of our calling or jealousy. It is important to know that the Lord needs all the gifts in the body to get his work done.
Application Questions:
Are you growing in your relationship with the Lord?
Do you have a sense of your role, gifts, calling and strengths within the body of Christ?
Do you feel intimidated by the gifts or success of others?
Do you love the body of Christ and appreciate the fact that the Lord needs all the gifts, including yours?
Closing Prayer: Lord help each of us to grow deep roots in you, your word and your church and help us to move out into the gifts and calling you have for us. In Jesus Name! Amen!
Read John 4:22-30 below
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
Fred's Reflections:
By this time in John the Baptist's ministry, Jesus had already come on the scene and John the Baptist was near the end of his mission. One of the signs of this for John was the fact that Jesus must increase while he must decrease. Already, Jesus was beginning to Baptize people, something that John had been famous for. In fact one of John's disciples reported to him, "He(Jesus) is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." John's amazing response is instructive for us: He was not at all intimidated that Jesus was "stealing his thunder" and getting more attention. He could respond like this because John was very comfortable in his own role, gifts and calling. He said "a man can receive only what is given Him from heaven." He knew what he was called to do. He knew that Jesus would increase and that He would eventually decrease and leave the scene. He was comfortable in his own skin. He was confident of his own role and in his own calling. Jesus success in no way diminished John's purpose and calling. In fact, Jesus success actually confirmed his message and calling.
For us, the question becomes, do we know who we are in Christ. Do we know our gifts ans what we are called to do? Do we know our role in the body of Christ? If not, it is essential that we put down deep roots in Christ by spending time in the presence of the Lord: in prayer, in scripture, in meditation and by communing with His people in church and walking in obedience to what the Lord says. This will set us up to begin to know our role, calling and purpose in the body of Christ.
For those of us who have a clear sense of our calling, gifting and purpose, it is essential that we walk humbly before the Lord, being sensitive and obedient to Him,and honoring the gifts and callings of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The success of our brother or sister in no way diminishes our calling and purpose in the Lord. If it does, we might be struggling with insecurity, uncertainty of our calling or jealousy. It is important to know that the Lord needs all the gifts in the body to get his work done.
Application Questions:
Are you growing in your relationship with the Lord?
Do you have a sense of your role, gifts, calling and strengths within the body of Christ?
Do you feel intimidated by the gifts or success of others?
Do you love the body of Christ and appreciate the fact that the Lord needs all the gifts, including yours?
Closing Prayer: Lord help each of us to grow deep roots in you, your word and your church and help us to move out into the gifts and calling you have for us. In Jesus Name! Amen!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
You Must Me Born Again! John 3:1-21 (NIV)
Today's devotional is a bit lengthy but I believe the Lord has a word for you if you will persevere. Blessings! Fred
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[g] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.".
Commentary:
Nicodemus was a Jewish leader and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man. He came to Jesus privately and gave him a compliment: "I know you must be from God". Jesus did not respond to the compliment but cut to the chase> He said: "no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. This threw Nicodemus for a loop. He thought Jesus was talking about physical birth. Jesus explained that
He was talking about the "life giving and purifying activity of the Holy Spirit" that takes place when a person is born again. (McCabe) He was talking about spiritual regeneration that can only come from God, not physical birth.
Question: Have you been born again by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If not, there is no better time than now to ask the savior of the world to forgive you of your sins and save you from the wrath of God that you deserve. Invite Him in to your life as your King, Lord, ruler and Savior and make a commitment to walk as His disciple for the rest of your life. Look to the left and click on the "What Is the Gospel" video or the other that explains the Gospel with a diagram.
Jesus also said: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." The real truth of why many people reject the truth of God's word is the truth exposes their sin and men love their sins more than they love God's truth!
Question: What do you love more than the truth of God's word?
Then Jesus said: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." This raises the question for me: Am I lifting up Jesus for all the world to see with my life and with my lips. The words of the old hymn expresses my heart!
How to reach the masses, men of every birth,
For an answer, Jesus gave the key:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Oh! the world is hungry for the Living Bread,
Lift the Savior up for them to see;
Trust Him, and do not doubt the words that He said,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew,
Preach the Gospel simple, full and free;
Prove Him and you will find that promise is true,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought,
Let the world in you the Savior see;
Then men will gladly follow Him Who once taught,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Let's pray: Lord I pray that I will lift up your name today through my words, my life and my obedience to you and to your will and to your word. In Jesus Name! Amen!
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[g] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.".
Commentary:
Nicodemus was a Jewish leader and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man. He came to Jesus privately and gave him a compliment: "I know you must be from God". Jesus did not respond to the compliment but cut to the chase> He said: "no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. This threw Nicodemus for a loop. He thought Jesus was talking about physical birth. Jesus explained that
He was talking about the "life giving and purifying activity of the Holy Spirit" that takes place when a person is born again. (McCabe) He was talking about spiritual regeneration that can only come from God, not physical birth.
Question: Have you been born again by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If not, there is no better time than now to ask the savior of the world to forgive you of your sins and save you from the wrath of God that you deserve. Invite Him in to your life as your King, Lord, ruler and Savior and make a commitment to walk as His disciple for the rest of your life. Look to the left and click on the "What Is the Gospel" video or the other that explains the Gospel with a diagram.
Jesus also said: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." The real truth of why many people reject the truth of God's word is the truth exposes their sin and men love their sins more than they love God's truth!
Question: What do you love more than the truth of God's word?
Then Jesus said: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." This raises the question for me: Am I lifting up Jesus for all the world to see with my life and with my lips. The words of the old hymn expresses my heart!
How to reach the masses, men of every birth,
For an answer, Jesus gave the key:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Oh! the world is hungry for the Living Bread,
Lift the Savior up for them to see;
Trust Him, and do not doubt the words that He said,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew,
Preach the Gospel simple, full and free;
Prove Him and you will find that promise is true,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought,
Let the world in you the Savior see;
Then men will gladly follow Him Who once taught,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Let's pray: Lord I pray that I will lift up your name today through my words, my life and my obedience to you and to your will and to your word. In Jesus Name! Amen!
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