Category: John

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The Father’s Always Here

This morning my reading took me to Luke chapter 11. Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them to pray. They wanted to know how to talk to the Father. Jesus then gave them a brief example of prayer; it’s what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. However, Jesus teaching didn’t stop there. Jesus went on to give them an example of how a friend would respond to an urgent request, made in the middle of the night, by a neighbor.

He compared the friendship of the neighbor to the love of the Father in these verses:

“Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house very late at night and said to him, ‘A friend of mine has come into town to visit me. But I have nothing for him to eat. Please give me three loaves of bread.’ 7 Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Go away! Don’t bother me! The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you the bread now.’ 8 I tell you, maybe friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread. But he will surely get up to give you what you need if you continue to ask. 9 So I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 10 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them. 11 Do any of you have a son? What would you do if your son asked you for a fish? Would any father give him a snake? 12 Or, if he asked for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? Of course not! 13 Even you who are bad know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to the people who ask him.” Luke 11:6-13 ERV

Notice that Jesus says no loving father would give his children something that is bad for them; not a snake, a scorpion or a stone. Loving father’s provide for the needs of their children. How much more will our Heavenly Father provide for us? Jesus points out that the Father will give us the Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. 14 The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you.” John 16:13-15 CEV

It is the Holy Spirit who reminds us of God’s word, brings us power for our daily lives and gives us wisdom in all situations. It is the Holy Spirit who indwells us and causes our lives to be fruitful. He is the one who brings the harvest of love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, meekness, faith and patience.

Jesus was emphatic in the instruction he gave to the disciples – ask and keep on asking, search and keep on searching, knock and keep on knocking, when we do we will receive, find and have the doors opened to us.

As parents we desire to be there for our kids – not just when they are little but as they grow. We desire to be a part of their lives and to help in any way possible. We get that from our heavenly Father. We want to be there to help drive away the fear; heal the hurts and celebrate the blessings.

“These children are people with physical bodies. So Jesus himself became like them and had the same experiences they have. Jesus did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil. 15 Jesus became like these people and died so that he could free them. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. 16 Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps. He helps the people who are from Abraham. 17 For this reason, Jesus had to be made like us, his brothers and sisters, in every way. He became like people so that he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then he could bring forgiveness for the people’s sins. 18 And now he can help those who are tempted. He is able to help because he himself suffered and was tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18 ERV

Jesus went through life on this earth so that He could be merciful to us, offering us forgiveness. He knows what we experience. He found strength in the time He spent in prayer with the Father. And the Father sent the Holy Spirit to help Jesus in His times of greatest temptation.

“Now filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan River. And then the Spirit led him into the desert. 2 There the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during this time, and when it was finished, he was very hungry…14 Jesus went back to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. Stories about him spread all over the area around Galilee.” Luke 4:1-14 ERV

What are you struggling with today? Ask the Father! Seek Him with all your heart and He will send the Holy Spirit to bring the answers, the aid and comfort that you need.

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Big Love

Happy Valentine’s Day! My goal this morning is to share the love.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.” John 3:16 NLV

God loved the world and He still does! His love has no end and as we saw yesterday that love never fails but it lasts forever.

When I was a little girl we sang a couple of songs in Sunday School, Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World. Those songs still have a profound effect on me. Each time I sing Jesus Loves Me my eyes filled up with tears, tears of joy and absolute gratitude.

Knowing that Jesus loves the children of the world confirms His commitment that He is no respecter of persons. God’s love isn’t based on education, financial status, social acceptance, geographical location or ethnicity. God’s love is based on one thing and one thing only – Him!

“Peter then said: Now I am certain that God treats all people alike. 35 God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from. 36 This is the same message that God gave to the people of Israel, when he sent Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, to offer peace to them.” Acts 10:34-36 CEV

I know I told you yesterday that we may be the only Valentine that someone receives today. We may be the only expression of love that comes their way. It might be someone at the grocery store, in the airport, on a phone call or perhaps it will be the person who was recently divorced or widowed. The important thing is that we let them know that we find value in who they are. They are God’s creation.

Love deeply and without reservation. This is the way that we fulfill God’s plan for our lives.

“He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”

37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:36-40 CEV

There is nothing bigger than God’s love – it encompasses the world and reaches out to all!

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A Good Connection

Sometimes it’s really important to go back and review previous lessons. This morning I was actually looking at some notes I had made in the back of my Bible. There I read “a thermostat is no good without the proper connection”.

I’d like to tell you a story I heard once about a mountain man who came to the city. He only came about once a year, didn’t have much need for big city people and their sophisticated ways. He went to the hardware store, the lumber yard, the grocer and stocked up on the supplies he couldn’t get in the mountains and was on his way home. Only one more night in the city noise and then he would be back in the hills to his quiet life and all that he found comfortable.

Before leaving, he passed a small church and he was drawn in by the singing. It was a warm Spring day and the church was full. He noticed that each time it started to get hot in the small building one of the ushers would go over and turn the dial on the wall and cool air would begin to flow. He was amazed. This happened several times during the service. When the pastor said the final AMEN the mountain man approached the usher and asked him what that was on the wall. The usher was a bit startled by the question and simply stated it was a thermostat.

He told the man that when the building got too warm he could turn it down and cool air would come out but it also worked when the air got too cold, he could turn the thermostat up and the air would get warmer. The next question out of the mountain man’s mouth was “where do you get such a thing” to which the usher replied “at the hardware store”.

I know you see where this is going, right? Well, the mountain man headed back to the hardware store before he left town and purchased a thermostat. As soon as he got home, he nailed it to the wall of his cabin. On the first really warm day the man went to the wall and turned the dial down. Nothing happened. He couldn’t understand why. It was exactly like the one in the little church.

He fussed with it time and again but nothing ever happened. It never got cooler and it certainly never made the air warmer. The mountain man took the thermostat off the wall and put it back in the box. On his next trip to town he returned to the hardware store and told the man behind the counter that this, the thermostat, was broken. It didn’t work – it never had!

Then came the all important question. “Did you have it connected properly to air conditioning unit?”

What?!

Aren’t we just like that mountain man sometimes? We expect things to work out one way or another and are disappointed when things fail but we aren’t connected properly.

Jesus gave his disciples this instruction:

“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me. 6 If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be thrown away. You will be like dry branches that are gathered up and burned in a fire.

7 Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered. 8 When you become fruitful disciples of mine, my Father will be honored. 9 I have loved you, just as my Father has loved me. So remain faithful to my love for you.” John 15:5-9 CEV

Stay joined – stay connected. Without Christ we can do nothing. It’s not our power or might that brings about the right results, it’s God’s Spirit working with us, through us and for us that makes the difference.

If we want to see results, our thermostat must be connected to the power source.

“He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name.” John 1:12 NLV

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So Much Love

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and so many are thinking of love. I’m still mulling over the significance of Jesus becoming our sacrifice; He willingly laid down His life to save ours! Now that’s true love.

Amazing.

I don’t think anyone would argue with the following statement: God, the Father, loves Jesus Christ, His Son. Nope, no argument at all. But what about this one? Think hard before you answer. God, the Father, loves me as much as He loves Jesus!

Does that one take you back? Does it cause you some hesitation? If so, you haven’t really understood how much God loves you. Jesus was praying in the Garden before He was taken to be crucified and this was part of His prayer.

“’I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. 21 Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.” John 17:20-23 ERV

…that you loved them just as you loved me. Think about that – recall all the different ways that God showed His love to Jesus and then see yourself being loved by God in the same way. Jesus was praying this prayer not just for the disciples that he was leaving on the earth at that time but for all who would believe in Him because of their teaching. I’m one of those who believed in Jesus as my Saviour because of their teaching and if you have accepted Christ as your Saviour then you have believed too and this verse is written to you.

Paul says in Romans that when we believe, we become the children of God, heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. (Romans 8). As parents, we’ve all had our kids accuse us of having a favorite, preferring one child over the other; but as parents, we all know that’s not true. We don’t love one child more than the other. We love each child as the unique individual that they are.

“For the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God. 17 If we are children of God, we will receive everything He has promised us. We will share with Christ all the things God has given to Him. But we must share His suffering if we are to share His shining-greatness.” Romans 8:16-18 NLV

We saw how Jesus suffered in the Garden when he prayed. If there was any other way possible for God’s plan of salvation to be fulfilled Jesus asked Him to do it. But if not, Jesus put His own will and desire aside to do the Father’s will. We will have times of suffering as we lay aside our desires to do what God desires for us to do. There is some real struggling in making selfless decisions.

For a time Jesus was referred to as God’s only Son but after His death on the cross and God’s plan of redemption was complete He is called the first born of many brethren. We are now one of God’s chosen, dearly loved children.

There is no greater love than this!

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The Importance of a Lamb

Sometimes I know what’s in my heart to share with you but the words just don’t come together. That’s the way it was for me this morning. I kept mulling things over all morning and am glad to share with you an afternoon blog…

I think I would have enjoyed being a young Jewish girl and helping my family raise sheep. That’s probably not something that was done because girls helped out in the home and boys helped in the fields but I would have liked it just the same. The hard part would have been when it came time to select a lamb to kill for the family’s supper or to select one to be offered as a sacrifice by the priests at the Tabernacle.

Several days back I was reading in the book of Exodus about the instruction the Lord gave to the Israelites as they prepared to leave Egypt. For their protection, each home was to select a lamb, a spotless lamb without blemish or defect. The lamb was to be killed, the blood applied to the sides of the door of each home and the lamb roasted for their meal. They were to eat with their shoes on and bags packed so they would be ready to go on a moments notice.

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month will be the beginning of months. It will be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to the people of Israel when they are gathered together. Tell them that on the tenth day of this month, every man must take a lamb for those of his father’s house, a lamb for each house. 4 If those in the house are too few to eat a lamb, let him and his nearest neighbor take the right amount for the number of people. Divide the lamb by how much each can eat. 5 Your lamb must be perfect, a male lamb one year old. You may take it from the sheep or the goats. 6 Keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the people of Israel are to kill it in the evening. 7 Then they must take some of the blood and put it on the wood pieces at the sides and top of the door of each house where they will eat it. 8 They must eat the meat that same night, made ready over a fire. They will eat it with bread made without yeast and with bitter plants. 9 Do not eat any of it if it is not cooked or if it is made ready by boiling. But cook it over a fire, its head, legs and inside parts. 10 Do not save any of it until morning. Burn with fire whatever is left of it before morning.

11 “Eat it with your shoes on your feet and your walking stick in your hand. And you must eat it in a hurry. It is the time the Lord will pass over. 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night. And I will kill all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. I will punish all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.” Exodus 12:1-12 NLV

The lamb was the sacrifice that the Lord required.

In the book of Genesis animal sacrifices were made to the Lord. Abraham offered bulls, heifers, goats and rams. And in the last couple of days I have been reading as Moses receives the Law and the instruction from the Lord for forms of worship and sacrifices. The sacrifices for the sin offering are always a spotless lamb. It couldn’t be lame or maimed in anyway. It had to be perfect.

But this lamb for the atonement of sins had to be offered every year because there was no power in the sacrifice to make the people perfect. It was only a symbolic offering.

Now fast forward to where I had been reading in the New Testament. I have been in the last chapters of Mark and reading about the crucifixion. It was then I remembered the importance of the lamb.

“John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don’t know. 27 Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.” 28 John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.[a

29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:

Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I told you about when I said, “Someone else will come. He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.” John 1:26-30 CEV

John the Baptist called Jesus the “lamb of God”. For those who were really listening, this must have been shocking. John was saying that Jesus would be God’s lamb who would remove sin – no longer a symbolic animal but God had provided the perfect sacrifice and He was here now, walking on earth.

Hallelujah!

“But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. That’s why his blood is much more powerful and makes our[a consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death.

15 Christ died to rescue those who had sinned and broken the old agreement. Now he brings his chosen ones a new agreement with its guarantee of God’s eternal blessings!” Hebrews 9:14-15 CEV

When we receive Jesus, recognizing Him as our sacrificial lamb, there is no longer a need for animal sacrifice. The way had been made for us to come to God, completely forgiven, made right and set free. Our sins have been taken away.

Thank you Father for the Lamb!

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Choose Joy

I was up quite early this morning and I have been enjoying the quiet. I asked the Lord, as I so often do, what will this day have in store? Sometimes He gives me a glimpse into my day but most of the time it is a walk of faith.

God has given us the power to set the tone of our day by the choices we make. We can get up dreading what may come or we can choose to be joyful no matter what may come. I’m not talking about an empty-headed, irresponsible or irrational type of mindless thought. Not at all. But I am saying if we focus on God’s greatness and love, we will be able to handle anything that invades our day and still remain joyful.

“But let all who put their trust in You be glad. Let them sing with joy forever. You make a covering for them, that all who love Your name may be glad in You. 12 For You will make those happy who do what is right, O Lord. You will cover them all around with Your favor.” Psalm 5:11-12 NLV

Each one of us have multiple opportunities each day to lose our joy. They can come via email, text, phone call, personal interaction or old memories. It’s up to us whether we allow those things to steal our joy.

“May honor and thanks be given to the Lord, because He has heard my prayer. 7 The Lord is my strength and my safe cover. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. So my heart is full of joy. I will thank Him with my song. 8 The Lord is the strength of His people. He is a safe place for His chosen one.” Psalm 28:6-8 NLV

Right before Jesus was crucified He was talking to his disciples and He told them things were going to get bad. In fact, He said that all of them would leave him; when he needed them the most they would abandon Him. However, He went on to say, the Father would be with Him so He wouldn’t be alone. That my friend is a reason to have peace and joy. When we’re in the Father’s presence there is reason for joy.

“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33 NKJV

What I hear Jesus saying is this, “you are going to face troubles, trials and disappointments but keep your joy and stay close to Me because I have overcome all that the world can throw at you”. That’s my paraphrase on those verses.

There isn’t anything too big for God, there isn’t anything that He can’t handle so today I will choose joy and in that joy I will find strength.

“Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

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Always Enough

This morning’s blog we are going back to the basics. The bottom line.

All through the Bible God reveals Himself to us. However, we get so busy and distracted that we forget to see that He is there.

When the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He told Moses that he would deliver the Israelites from the bonds of slavery that they were in. God told Moses he wanted him to go to the pharaoh and present him with this message off deliverance. Moses had so many excuses as to why God should chose someone else. Moses asked the Lord what he should tell people qualified him for this task. This was God’s response

“But Moses said to God, “I am not a great man! How can I be the one to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 God said, “You can do it because I will be with you. This will be the proof that I am sending you: After you lead the people out of Egypt, you will come and worship me on this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “But if I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me,’ then the people will ask, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?”

14 Then God said to Moses, “Tell them, ‘I Am Who I Am.’ When you go to the Israelites, tell them, ‘I Am’ sent me to you.” 15 And God said, “Tell the Israelites that you were sent by Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. This will always be my name. It is how I want the people to remember me from now on.” Exodus 3:11-15 ERV

I Am Who I AM!

I AM is more than enough. God hasn’t changed since He spoke his name to Moses. He is still I AM. Whatever it is we need, God is I AM!

Jesus repeated this name of God when he ministered to the people. He told them I Am the bread of life, the light of the world, the way, the truth, the life, the resurrections and the door. I AM.

“Jesus answered, ‘The fact is, before Abraham was born, I Am.'” John 8:58 ERV

He is still the same today. His word promises that He is the same; yesterday, today and forever. He is still the great I AM and I AM is more than enough.

I AM – I love that God is I AM! He isn’t I was or I will be – but He is always in the present tense, always here, always near.

“10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Today, if we are still; (some days that’s a miracle in itself – finding time to be still) we will see that I AM is here. He’s waiting to be I AM direction, wisdom, peace, joy, love, hope, understanding, merciful, provision, strength, deliverance, salvation, healer.

Jesus came and touched people where they lived and brought answers to their daily problems. Then He told them that He came not just to meet their daily needs but to provide salvation for the spiritual needs as well.

So I encourage you, us, to be still today and know that I AM still IS!

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Identity Crisis

Good morning. I’m so glad to be back with you today. My recovery is just starting but now on morning three I am feeling better than I did on morning one. Thank you for your prayers and I appreciate you continuing to pray for me over the next few weeks as well.

This morning I was reading in Matthew 16 where Jesus asked His disciples who the people were saying Jesus was.

“Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. He said to his followers, “Who do people say I am[a?” 14 They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 Then Jesus said to his followers, “And who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16 ERV

The crowds had been following Jesus for quite sometime and had seen many miracles. The Pharisees and religious leaders were very upset by the things Jesus was doing and they were doing all they could to get rid of Him. They knew the longer Jesus associated with the common people the harder it would be to remove Him from public life. They had to try and discredit him.

Jesus wanted to know who the disciples believed Him to be. They were the ones who had lived with Him and associated with Him on a daily basis. Did they believe that He was God’s Son? Were they willing to follow Him without hesitation? Jesus had a mission from the Father. He was sent to reconcile the relationship between God, the Father, and mankind.

He came to earth to be the Savior of all.

“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!” John 3:17 CEV

The last few days I have had a lot of time to sit and think about that truth, what it means to be reconciled with God. Some of the people of Jesus day were confused about who Jesus really was. Was He the Messiah or just a man? There are many of us now, after His death, burial and resurrection, who recognize Jesus as God’s Son. No confusion here.

However, there is still an identity crisis that needs to be addressed. Let me paraphrase Jesus words and ask “who do we say that we are”? Do we overestimate our own potential by thinking that it is our hard work and superior intelligence that has gotten us the good things in life? Or do we underestimate our value and see ourselves as unworthy of being loved and ill-equipped in life?

When we accept Christ as our Savior we become new; we take on a whole new identity, we become the children of God Almighty!

“The Word (Jesus) was already in the world. The world was made through him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to the world that was his own. And his own people did not accept him. 12 But some people did accept him. They believed in him, and he gave them the right to become children of God. 13 They became God’s children, but not in the way babies are usually born. It was not because of any human desire or plan. They were born from God himself.” John 1:10-13 ERV

The Apostle Paul, who wrote a large portion of the New Testament, spent most of his time instructing us on who we are in Christ and how we should live to reflect our relationship with our Father.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin[b] so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 ERV

We should be humbled by the fact that God has chosen us to be His children. He has made everything new. Jesus spoke boldly about His Father, we should too. How is it possible for us to be accepted by God as His children? It’s only possible through our relationship with Christ. This life we have been given isn’t mission impossible.

The mission, my friend, should you choose to accept it is entirely possible through Christ.

“When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26 KJV


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God’s Not Mad

I got to thinking after I did yesterday’s post on pruning that some may think that God is mad at them. He’s not!

We all have things that need to be pruned away, removed from our lives, so that we can grow strong and healthy. But God never does any of that with an attitude of anger, He is always led by His compassion.

That was a wonderful part of the angels message “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” The sacrifice of Jesus ended the war between God and man. God judged our sin by placing it on Jesus and He paid the price. He was convicted, found guilty and punished with death for crimes (Sin) He didn’t do. Paid in Full.

“But I tell you that I am going to do what is best for you. That is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help [a you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you.

8 The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God’s justice and the judgment. 9 The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn’t have faith in me. 10 They are wrong about God’s justice, because I am going to the Father, and you won’t see me again. 11 And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world.” John 16:7-11 CEV

The Holy Spirit will reprove or correct men in their sin, but the sin is not believing that Jesus was and is God’s Son and He is the sacrifice for our sins. He will reprove of righteousness, showing us that through Christ we have been made righteous and that judgment belongs to satan and those that follow him.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in II Corinthians 5.
“For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. All this is God’s doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself—not counting their sins against them—and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As his personal representatives we say, “Make your peace with God.” For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21

It is our job, as ambassadors, to tell people that God has made a way of “peace” for them through Christ. Reconciling us to Himself, God has made a way for us to become righteous, complete new creatures.

Today I want to do my job as an ambassador of Christ and bring this good news to you. Now I ask you to share it too.

7 “For a short time I turned away from you, but with all my love I will welcome you again. 8 I was so angry that for a while I did not want to see you. But now I want to comfort you with kindness forever.” The LORD your Savior said this. 9 “Remember, in Noah’s time I punished the world with the flood. But I made a promise to Noah that I would never again destroy the world with water. In the same way, I promise that I will never again be angry with you and say bad things to you.” Isaiah 54:7-9

God isn’t mad at us – He is reaching out to us with arms of love!

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Are You Growing

This morning I was on my way to the kitchen to get a second cup of coffee. I passed the side table and realized that the bamboo plant sitting there needed water.

Two years ago a neighbor brought it to us as a Christmas gift. I’ve moved it to a larger pot. It had one shoot die and another start. I must admit that I haven’t had as much success with it as I do with my other plants. It seems odd to me that a plant can grow without soil and survive, or even thrive, on only water.

I enjoy taking care of my plants. Some of them I brought from Montana when we moved almost five years ago. Others that made the trip have been with me much longer than that. I have one corn plant that I rescued from near death when we lived in Encinitas, CA. That was 1990. I can’t remember how many shoots I have cut from that plant and given away. It continues to thrive.

At the end of each year I ponder my spiritual growth. Years and years ago I heard a minister say “if you aren’t growing and moving forward in your spiritual life you are backsliding”. Yikes! Since that time, I have prayerfully evaluated my spiritual growth.

Do I look and act more like Jesus than I did before? I must honestly say the answer hasn’t always been yes. Some years my growth seemed dormant and in others it appeared that my leaves were dry and brittle, almost dead and in need of pruning.

“Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of what I have said to you.

4 Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. 5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.” John 15:1-5 CEV

One thing I have learned in tending to my plants is that pruning doesn’t hurt a healthy plant. Pruning is the cutting away of the dead and useless branches. When they are removed, the plant grows stronger because it is no longer trying to supply water and nutrients to areas that have died.

It’s important that we are well watered. We will grow and be more like Christ when we are. How are we watered?

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 The rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there without giving water to the earth. This makes plants grow on the earth, and gives seeds to the planter and bread to the eater. 11 So My Word which goes from My mouth will not return to Me empty. It will do what I want it to do, and will carry out My plan well.” Isaiah 55:9-11 NLV

We are watered with God’s word. It provides what we need for a full and fruitful life.

“If you get your life from Me and My Words live in you, ask whatever you want. It will be done for you. 8 “When you give much fruit, My Father is honored. This shows you are My followers. 9 I have loved you just as My Father has loved Me. Stay in My love. 10 If you obey My teaching, you will live in My love. In this way, I have obeyed My Father’s teaching and live in His love. 11 I have told you these things so My joy may be in you and your joy may be full.The Christian with Other Christians 12 “This is what I tell you to do: Love each other just as I have loved you.” John 15:7-12 NLV

Take some time over the next few days to ask the Lord if there is anything He would like to prune from your life. There’s no condemnation if He shows you something; it’s for your benefit. Pruning will make you stronger and more productive.

I thank God that He loves me enough to see that I grow in a healthy way by removing those things that would stunt my growth.

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