Author: Kristi Wilson

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Lost & Found

This morning I would like to tell you a story of a little boy named Timmy.

Timmy had saved his allowance money to buy a model boat kit. It wasn’t just any toy boat, it was a sailboat. The day came and his father took him to the toy store, he found the box sitting on the shelf and took it to the register. There he gave his hard earned money to the clerk and he and his father walked out the door.

Timmy worked very hard for the next few weeks on his toy boat. Finally the day came…the last coat of paint was dry, the sail was in place and the boat was finished.

After school the next day Timmy could hardly wait for his dad to come home. They were going to take the boat on its maiden voyage. They walked to the park together, Timmy was talking non-stop with excitement. They got to the bank of the creek, set the little boat in the water and watched it sail on the current. It was thrilling!

One day, he placed his little boat in the creek and as it sailed down stream something terrible happened. The tether that Timmy had tied to the boat came loose. The boat sailed farther and farther down stream. Timmy had no way to retrieve it and now it was lost. Timmy was heartbroken. He loved that little boat, he had worked hard to make it and now it was gone. As he walked home his head was hanging low and tears filled his eyes. It was gone!

Timmy’s dad said they could get another kit and build another boat but that just wouldn’t be the same.

One day Timmy was with his Mom in town. As he walked down the street with her, he glanced up and there in the window of the hardware store was his boat. It had a For Sale sign on it. Timmy was thrilled. His mom took him in the store. The clerk retrieved the boat from the window. The price tag said $12.95. The clerk told them that someone had found the boat outside of town stuck in the creek bank. They didn’t want to boat and sold it to the store owner. That’s how it came to be in the window.

Timmy could have the boat back if he would just pay the store owner what the owner had paid for it. Timmy dug deep into his pockets and pulled out his allowance money. He had just enough. This little boat, Timmy’s boat, had now been owned twice.

It had been redeemed!

This story is one that I heard long, long ago in Sunday School but it can apply to our relationship with the Father. 

God created man to have a relationship with Him but because Adam sinned that relationship was broken. God wasn’t willing to lose man. He established a plan that would reconcile or redeem His relationship with mankind. The word redeem means to regain possession in exchange for payment. Reconcile means to make compatible or friendly again. Christ did both for us.

“You were rescued (redeemed)  from the useless way of life that you learned from your ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last forever. 19 You were rescued (redeemed) by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb.” I Peter 1:18-19 CEV

“But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. 10 Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us (reconciled), because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life. 11 And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.” Romans 5:9-11 CEV

Just like Timmy’s little boat, we were originally made to have relationship with God in a perfect way but man became lost. It took the death of Jesus to pay the price and redeem us for our original owner.

God’s love reached out to us and brought us back. We have peace with God!

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Sweeter Than Honey

Cuando era una chica una de nuestras mejores amigas era un apicultor. Como  no teníamos  tías y tíos alrededor, los  Smith eran lo más cercano que teníamos a la familia. Cuando íbamos a su casa, en el campo, siempre había cajas de abejas bordeaban los campos y el granero de miel estaba en la parte trasera del patio. Nunca salimos de su casa sin un galón de miel.

Nada mejor que la miel en tostadas o una galleta de suero de leche recién horneada excepto, tal vez, las amables palabras de un amigo.

“El corazón del sabio tiene poder sobre su boca y añade aprendizaje a sus labios. 24  Las palabras agradables son como miel. Son dulces para el alma y curativos para los huesos”. Proverbios 16:23-24 NLV

Una de las cosas que cubrimos al estar “en Cristo” fue tener un pensamiento correcto. El pensamiento correcto produce acciones correctas y palabras correctas. Palabras que son dulces para el alma y sanación a los huesos. El versículo que nos dice que “Piensa como Cristo Jesús pensó” proviene del libro de Filipenses, capítulo 2. Sólo unos pocos versículos más adelante en ese capítulo leemos esto:

“Hacer todo sin quejarse o discutir.” Filipenses 2:14 ERV

Haga TODO sin quejarse… ¿De verdad Dios? TODAS las cosas! Sí, todas las cosas. Porque a medida que el versículo dice entonces seremos una luz en el mundo oscuro. Si nosotros, que creemos en Cristo Jesús, y hemos recibido Su maravilloso don de fiaduría nos quejamos todo el tiempo, no somos diferentes del resto del mundo. ¿Cómo sabrán que hay victoria y esperanza si nuestra vida no  refleja que Cristo está viviendo en nosotros?

“para que seáis inculpados y puros, hijos de Dios sin culpa. Pero estás viviendo con personas malvadas a tu alrededor, que han perdido su sentido de lo que es correcto. Entre esas personas brillas como luces en un mundo oscuro”, Filipenses 2:15 ERV

Es tan fácil quejarse de nuestros hijos, compañeros, trabajos, salud, finanzas, los políticos, el clima, etc., pero debemos resistir esa tentación y vivir en lo que Dios nos llamó a hacer. Cuando controlamos nuestras  palabras  demostramos que tenemos un corazón sabio.

Pablo, que escribió este versículo mientras estaba en prisión, había sido golpeado, naufragado, apedreado y salido corriendo de casi todos los pueblos en los que predicaba, pero no se quejó. De hecho, cantaba y alababa a Dios  en medio de sus adversidades. Los llamó “aflicciones ligeras”.

Había una película de Disney a finales de la década de 1950 llamada Pollyanna. Pollyanna siempre tuvo algo bueno que decir sin importar lo mala que fuera la situación. Trajo alegría a las almas más hosco de la ciudad. Su actitud ayudó a las personas a ver más allá de sus decepciones y les trajo la curación de su dolor.

“Tus palabras pueden ser tan satisfactorias como la fruta, tan agradables como la comida que llena el estómago. 21 La lengua puede decir palabras que traigan vida o muerte. Aquellos que aman hablar deben estar listos para aceptar lo que trae”. Proverbios 18:20-21 ERV

Cuando hablamos palabras de vida, palabras sin quejarnos, somos un testimonio del poder de Dios en nuestra vida. Tenemos tanto por lo que estar agradecidos – hacer todas las cosas sin murmurar o quejarse .

Regocíjense en el Señor siempre porque el es el que puede y hará que seamos victoriosos.

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Sweeter Than Honey

When I was a girl one of our best friends was a bee keeper. Since we didn’t have aunts and uncles around, the Smith’s were the closest thing we had to family. When we would go to their house, out in the country, there were always bee boxes lining the fields and the honey barn was at the back of the yard. We never left their place without a gallon can of honey.

Nothing better than honey on toast or a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit except, maybe, the kind words of a friend.

“The heart of the wise has power over his mouth and adds learning to his lips. 24 Pleasing words are like honey. They are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:23-24 NLV

One of the things we covered on being “in Christ” was having right thinking. Right thinking produces right actions and right words. Words that are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. The verse that tells us to “Think as Christ Jesus thought” comes from the book of Philippians, chapter 2. Just a few verses further in that chapter we read this:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:14 ERV

Do EVERYTHING without complaining…Really God? ALL things! Yes, all things. Because as the verse goes on to say we will then be a light in the dark world. If we, who believe in Christ Jesus, and have received His wonderful gift of sonship go about complaining all the time, we are no different from the rest of the world. How will they know that there is victory and hope if our lives don’t reflect that Christ is living in us?

“so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,” Philippians 2:15 ERV

It’s so easy to complain about our kids, mates, jobs, health, finances, the politicians, the weather, etc., but we must resist that temptation and live in what God called us to do. When we control our words we prove that we have a wise heart.

Paul, who wrote this verse while he was in prison had been beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, and run out of nearly every town he preached in but he didn’t complain. In fact, he would sing and praise God in the midst of his adversities. He called them “light afflictions”.

There was a Disney movie in the late 1950’s called Pollyanna. Pollyanna always had something good to say no matter  how bad the situation was. She brought gladness to the most sullen souls in town. Her attitude helped people see past their disappointments and brought them healing from their pain.

“Your words can be as satisfying as fruit, as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach. 21 The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.” Proverbs 18:20-21 ERV

When we speak words of life, words without complaining, we are a testament to God’s power in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for – do all things without murmuring or complaining .

Rejoice in the Lord always because He is the one who can and will cause us to be victorious.

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Look On The Heart

I really like the characters from Winnie the Pooh. For years I have felt that the people I meet could be characterized by one of the beloved animals in those stories. I think Pooh is a good example of a dedicated Christian. How much better it would be if we were a bit more like that. Not that we should be like Pooh, but we should be like Jesus!

Pooh is always helping. When Piglet is scared he helps calm his fears, when Rabbit is working too hard and becomes stressed Pooh helps him see the value of rest. When Eeyore is overcome by depression and loneliness Pooh is always there to cheer him up. When Tiggerr offends others by being too focused on fun and hurts feelings or causes damage Pooh is there to point out his good heart and desire to do what’s right. And when Owl drones on with instruction and philosophy Pooh listens respectfully and appreciates his wisdom.

Jesus looked for the best in everyone; spoke the truth with love, encouraged the broken hearted, corrected the misguided and disobedient and calmed the fears of those who were anxious.

Jesus lived the Scripture. “Man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart”. Since we are in Christ, we should be thinking the same way about the people we encounter.

Lord I want to look on the heart of people today! I want to be there to help when needed and not to judge.

“If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord’s followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. 2 We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. 3 Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, “The people who insulted you also insulted me.” 4 And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. 5 God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ. 6 Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you. 8 I tell you that Christ came as a servant of the Jews to show that God has kept the promises he made to their famous ancestors. Christ also came, 9 so that the Gentiles would praise God for being kind to them…13 I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.” Romans 15:1-13 CEV

Letting God live His life through us can be challenging but the rewards are so great!  Encouraging, teaching, being patient, living in peace and hope; these are all things that Father wants for us. He’s also given us the opportunity to provide these for others.

A quote from Winnie the Pooh puts it this way: “Love is taking a few steps backward maybe even more… to give way to the happiness of the person you love.”

Look for opportunities to give unconditional love; you’ll be richly rewarded!

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Growing “In Him”

It is my prayer that you gained new insight for your daily walk with the Lord because of our brief study of “in Him” and “in Christ”. Over the next week or so I will be sharing some thoughts from God’s word that you have probably heard before but if you start each day’s reading reminding yourself that you are in Him I know the Lord will give you a greater understanding of these truths.

The Bible has much to say about seeds, planting and growing. God intended for nature to be an example for us to learn from and live by. We see what good soil, the right amount of water and sunshine can do on a daily basis. The trees in our yards and parks flourish; the pastures grow and provide food for the cattle; the desert has its own beauty from the vegetation that grows there. Yes, it’s all around us!

Jesus taught parables about farmers growing seeds and protecting what they had planted. In one of my favorite stories He warns of birds coming to eat the seeds that are unprotected and of weeds that choke out the plants while they are young. Finally He tells of the harvest that comes when the seeds are well cared for and allowed to grow. Jesus makes this correlation:

“This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message, 12 and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.

14 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything. 15 Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.” Luke 9:11-15 CEV

The seed, God’s word, is perfect. It will grow anywhere but it must be protected to bring a harvest. Did you notice that Jesus said if we keep it “in” our hearts it will produce? In the book of John, chapter one, the first thing John says is “in the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God and the word was God”. Jesus is the word of God in the flesh. That makes Jesus and His word the seed that we should be planting in our hearts.

As the seed grows it provides life, protection and safety. God’s word will do the same in our lives and the lives of those around us.

“Then Jesus said, “What can I use to show you what God’s kingdom is like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed, which is smaller than any other seed on earth that you can plant. 32 But when you plant it, it grows and becomes the largest of all the plants in your garden. It has branches that are very big. The wild birds can come and make nests there and be protected from the sun.” Mark 4:30-32 ERV

A mustard seed will germinate in about five to ten days if the soil conditions are right. The black mustard tree, referred to in the verses above, will grow to an average of three to five feet tall and can continue to grow up to ten to fifteen feet tall.

When we allow God’s word to grow in our lives we can be a blessing and a place of rest and safety to those around us. God’s word is powerful but if we allow the day to day cares of life to take hold in our hearts they can choke out the growth of God’s word. We must keep our focus on God’s ability and not our inability.

“I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. 2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” II Peter 1:1-2 NLT

Be blessed and grow!

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Chosen Special

Over the past months I have learned a lot about diamonds. The process of taking a stone from “diamond rough” to brilliant cut requires pain-staking precision and is only done by a Master. Diamonds value is determined by color, carat, clarity and facets. Choosing the right one requires a well trained eye.

God, the Father, has chosen us. He sees value and beauty in us, we are precious in His sight.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. 4 In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. 6 And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves.”  Ephesians 1:3-6 ERV

From before the world was made, God saw through time and picked us out to be His own. A few days back we covered the verses that show that God doesn’t have favorites. He chose us all. He’s not willing for anyone to miss out on life with Him.

“The Lord is not being slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop sinning.” II Peter 3:9 ERV

He has seen everyone of us and is patiently waiting for us to turn to Him and find the wonderful relationship that He has for each of us. God, the Father, sees us as His inheritance. One thing I’ve learned about a will is that only things that the person making the will sees as valuable are listed.

I’m going to close our teaching on in Christ and in Him with these verses written by the Apostle Paul. I read these verses every morning, for years, and each day I grew to understand them more and more.

I encourage you to make them part of your daily Bible reading. Let each phrase sink in, go back and reread each segment. I pray that forty years from now, if Jesus hasn’t come back, you will still be gaining insight into how valuable you are to God.

“I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” Ephesians 1:16-23 NLT

When we are in Christ, He fills us with Himself! We are complete in Him! We are His chosen!

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Everything I Need

If you started making a list of everything you need how long would it be? Not talking about your wants or your wish list but the things you really need. Did you know there is an “In Christ” verse to cover that?

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NLT

As I was sitting here and thinking about what my day has in store I found that in Christ He has already supplied all that I need. Just like Noah was kept safe in the Ark, I am kept safe in Christ. 

    He became my sin so that I could become his righteousness

    He took stripes on his back so that I could be healed

    He told me to come boldly to his throne to find help (Him) in time of need

    He became my strength when I am weak

   He became my peace when things around me are in chaos.

    He gave me a cup that runs over when the enemy is trying to steal, kill and destroy

   He gave me wisdom when I asked for it

What more could I ask for? Then these verses came to mind, this is the right kind of thinking.

“ You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God’s right side. 2 Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. 3 You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God. 4 Christ gives meaning to your life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 CEV

Not only do we have God’s promise to be all we need here on earth but we have His promise that our life is hidden in Christ and we will be with Him in heaven.

He is ALL I need!

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The Unknown God

Did you know that there is an altar in the Palatine Museum in Rome that is dedicated to the “unknown god”? It was discovered during excavation of Palatine Hill, which is the center most of the seven hills of Rome, in 1820.

It’s true!

This is not the altar to the unknown god that the Apostle Paul spoke of when he was preaching in Athens but it’s interesting that these early Romans and Greeks recognized that there was a god who they didn’t know anything about.

Paul spoke to the men of Athens when they asked him to expound on a new teaching.  The Athenians loved “new” teachings and they were very religious people.

“Then Paul stood up before the meeting of the Areopagus council and said, “Men of Athens, everything I see here tells me you are very religious. 23 I was going through your city and I saw the things you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: ‘ to an unknown god.’ You worship a god that you don’t know. This is the God I want to tell you about.

24 “He is the God who made the whole world and everything in it. He is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 He is the one who gives people life, breath, and everything else they need. He does not need any help from them. He has everything he needs. 26 God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. He decided exactly when and where they would live.

27 “God wanted people to look for him, and perhaps in searching all around for him, they would find him. But he is not far from any of us. 28 It is through him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who we are. As your own poets have said, ‘We all come from him.’

29 “That’s right. We all come from God. So you must not think that he is like something people imagine or make. He is not made of gold, silver, or stone. 30 In the past people did not understand God, and he overlooked this. But now he is telling everyone in the world to change and turn to him. 31 He has decided on a day when he will judge all the people in the world in a way that is fair. To do this he will use a man he chose long ago. And he has proved to everyone that this is the man to do it. He proved it by raising him from death!”

32 When the people heard about Jesus being raised from death, some of them laughed. But others said, “We will hear more about this from you later.”Acts 17:22-32

Paul stayed in Athens and taught those who wanted to learn more about Jesus. The Bible tells us that some people laughed at the idea of the resurrection but there were some who believed. There is no other God like our God! He has designed from the beginning of time a way for us to be in relationship with Him. He sent His Son to die for our sins. No other religious leader and/or god has ever died and been raised from the dead. Only Jesus.

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6 NLT

Our study over the past few days has been on our relationship “in Him” or “in Christ”.  Without that relationship we are without Christ and without hope in this world.

“Yes, at one time you were far away from God, but now in Christ Jesus, you are brought near to him. You are brought near to God through the blood sacrifice of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13 ERV

I am very glad to say like Paul that in Christ I have life, breath and everything I need.

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Right Thinking

Thinking like Jesus is our thought for today.

“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, 2 then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. 4 Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.

5 In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought.

6 He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. 7 Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man,
8 he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross. 9 So God raised him up to the most important place and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. 10 God did this so that every person will bow down to honor the name of Jesus. Everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow. 11 They will all confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” and this will bring glory to God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11 ERV

A few days ago we saw where God the Father was in Christ to fulfill His plan of reconciliation. And now we receive this admonition from Paul to “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”. We have the mind of Christ when we are born again. We have the Holy Spirit in us creating God-like thoughts and inspiring us to do God-like actions.

Our thoughts are created by what we hold in our heart. Jesus came to earth with the goal of serving man and telling them of God’s love. His heart was filled with love – love for the Father and love for those who accepted and those who rejected Him. His thinking and His actions didn’t change because of what others thought or did to Him. He was single-minded.

The Apostle Paul, who wrote those verses in Philippians, also gave us this instruction in the Book of Romans.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT

These verses above teach us how to develop that thinking. We are to be humble and loving, placing God’s desires over ours. If we copy the pattern that Jesus gave us our thinking will be completely transformed.

So I will say with the Apostle Paul today – Let this mind be in me, I want to think like my Father!

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No Playing Favorites

One verse keeps going over and over in my mind this morning. It has to do with our position in Christ.

“Peter began to speak: ‘I really understand now that God does not consider some people to be better than others:’” Acts 10:34 ERV

This verse should bring a real sense of peace and encouragement to each and every one of us. Perhaps you are someone who grew up battling low self-esteem. You weren’t the prettiest or the smartest or the best athlete or the richest or the most blah, blah, blah…Whatever and whoever, you were just never the best. 

Or maybe you lived on the other end of the spectrum and had always felt that you were one of the elite; the special, the ones that everyone wanted to be like – you were all that and a bag of chips!

But how does God see you? Yesterday I used these verses but they bear repeating.

“You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This shows that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 28 Now, in Christ, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or free, male or female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:27-28 ERV

Rich or poor, educated or uneducated, man or woman, free or enslaved, high society or from the wrong side of the tracks, none of this matters; what matters is that you are in Christ!  Don’t be held back in your walk with the Lord thinking that others are better, more spiritual, more acceptable to God or that they are less than you. God’s love is the same to all. Even before we accept Him, He loved us.

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:8 ERV

Jesus loved the lowly as much as He loved the highly esteemed in society. He came to bring life to the leper and the Pharisee, the harlot and the lawyer. The difference was their opinion of themselves and their willingness to ask for and receive salvation.

Nicodemus, a high ranking religious leader, came to Jesus by night. Coming by day, he might be seen. “What will the neighbors think? What about the guys at the club?”  It was to this man, Nicodemus, that Jesus said you must be born again. You must be born from the Spirit and then Jesus spoke to him of God’s amazing love.

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. 18 People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. But people who do not believe are already judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. 19 They are judged by this fact: The light has come into the world. But they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil things. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light. They will not come to the light, because the light will show all the bad things they have done. 21 But anyone who follows the true way comes to the light. Then the light will show that whatever they have done was done through God.” John 3:16-21 ERV

Today, make it a point to let God show His love to you and through you!

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