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DEVOTION
OPENING PRAYER
O God, whose promises are true, help me never to stagger in disbelief at your promises but to claim them as my own. In the name of Christ. AMEN.
INTRODUCTION
This week’s scripture concludes with one of the most beloved and well known in the Bible. John 3:16 is memorized by many Christian believers at a young age because it encapsulates the “GOOD NEWS” of Jesus teaching. God loves us all. God sent his Son Jesus to us. Simply by believing in Jesus as God’s Son the believer receives the gift of eternal life. Let’s read the scripture.
SCRIPTURE John 3:1-17 NIV
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The 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? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
REFLECTION
To know that God’s love is so immense and complete is hard for many to accept. Their feelings of unworthiness, guilt or shame impede their acceptance of God’s gift. To believe in Jesus is not just to be able to casually recognize that Jesus lived and taught and died for his actions as recorded in an ancient book. To believe in Jesus is to engage in an intentional, disciplined personal relationship with Jesus that transcends words and concepts, moral teachings and courageous actions. A relationship with Jesus should transform life. Believers realize that the love of God is completely different from the love expressed in the world and that viewpoint transforms all relationships. Believers realize that we are desperately incomplete, lacking and frail. Only by believing in God’s love and living in a faith-filled relationship with Jesus is there hope, joy, mercy, forgiveness and everlasting life.
Norman Shawchuck has written this prayer which all disciples – and all seeking to be disciples should pray to experience God’s love and live a vital “believing” relationship with Jesus.
Here, O God, I pray for a realization of my condition in your eyes. Help me to see and know myself as you see and know me. Give me clear insight into my relationship with you, Let me know myself as you know me.
Give me assurance that I belong to you. Remove from me those nagging doubts and needless fears that I may not be good enough to be numbered with the great company of heaven.
On the other hand, if I am living separation from you, if I am more a creature of evil than a child of God, O Great Physician, use your convicting scalpel on me. Perform within me the surgery necessary to heal me of all soul-sickness.
Christ, I abandon myself to you. Do with me every necessary thing to assure my entrance into eternal life – and the heaven already prepared for me.
From A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God Norman Shawchuck & Rueben P. Job. Upper Room Books Nashville TN. 2003 pg. 142.
Believe – Pray – Engage – Grow – Receive –
Believe – Pray – Engage – Grow – Receive – Believe …
Blessings,
Pastor Tom
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