There Ahead of Us

“Verily, verily, I say unto you; before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

The other day I spoke of what church goers say to annoy their pastor. Today we will look at what the world says to annoy me. “Well, pastor,” they smirk, “after all, Jesus never said He was God.” They have just lit my fuse. When they say this I am always reminded of the Jews who were falsely accusing Jesus. These modern scoffers are the same sons of the devil as they were.

In Exodus chapter three, when Moses was telling God why he couldn’t obey God’s call, God told Him by what Name He would be known. God would be known by the Name, “I AM”. That is why the Jews tried to stone Jesus for even using that name. It belonged exclusively to God. It did and it does. So, when Jesus uses it He is asserting that He is God. Some cults even remove this verse from their Bible. Those who come to Christ must believe that He is the Son of God, for no one else could take away our sins.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to die on the cross for my sins. Let me never be deceived by the devil that Jesus is other than who He said He was. Amen.   

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net   

Bad Parentage

“You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because no truth is in him.”      John 8:44

What an indictment! Satan is a murderer. Satan has no truth in him. Satan is a liar. That isn’t just the indictment against the devil. Jesus applied it to those who rejected Him. In my book Deceived, I show how an entire segment of the professing Christian community is under this strong judgment of God. We shouldn’t just read the Bible to find out how awful everyone else is; we should be looking for ourselves on every page.

Are we truthful? The devil isn’t; he’s the father of lies. Are we loving? He is a murderer. Are we honest? He is a thief. Do we love God’s law? He hates God’s law. Do we love the fellowship of the saints? He wants to keep us from the fellowship of the saints. It wouldn’t hurt us to honestly assess our “devil quotient”. We are to let our light so shine that others see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Do others see our light, or do they see our “devil quotient”?

Dear Father, Help me to let Your light truly shine through me each day. Amen.

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Good Parentage

“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.” John 8:39

While this verse might seem to apply only to the Jews; it really applies to all who claim faith in Abraham’s God. The Jews rejected Abraham’s God by rejecting Jesus as the Christ. The Muslims have rejected Abraham’s God by denying that Jesus is the Son of God. Many Christians have rejected Abraham’s God by denying the true divinity of Christ. That is the major idea of the context of this verse. But it has another one as well.

The Jews wanted to kill Jesus. Would Abraham have wanted to kill Him? He had a chance, you know. When Jesus came to Abraham to warn him of the destruction of Sodom, what did Abraham do? He killed the fatted calf to honor Jesus. He bowed down before Him. He prayed to Him. He believed Him. He loved Him and obeyed Him. Those were the works of Abraham. Galatians tells us that all who come to Christ by faith are sons of Abraham. These are the works that should be evident in our lives as well.

Dear Father, I want to act like a child of Abraham each day and give You the proper honor and devotion that you deserve. Amen.

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It's Free

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

“I can’t wait to get out of this house and live on my own and make my own rules!” Parents have heard that sad song for generations, maybe even since Adam. Teens often feel that they are just a slave in their homes. It is not a justified feeling; it is a rebellious human feeling. It was the feeling of Adam and Eve in the Garden. They wanted to be like God and make their own rules. They didn’t want a children’s role anymore.

All people of all ages have felt the same. I want to be in control. Jesus pointed out that that idea was slavery. Adam and Eve had become slaves of sin as soon as they ate the fruit. The Jews had rebelled against God and been conquered by the Babylonians and then the Romans. Their sin had brought them into subjection to foreign rulers. Even in such a state of bondage they still rejected God’s provision for freedom. It was to be freedom from the real cause of slavery. They could be free from sin and so can we. It can only be done through Jesus Christ. He died for our sin that we might become free of its curse and be restored as children of God. Rebellious pride led to the downfall of Israel. It still leads today to the eternal downfall of millions. Only through Jesus Christ can we be freed from slavery to sonship with God.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Jesus to make me free to be Your child. Help me walk obediently in that freedom each day. Amen.

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Merry Christmas

"For unto us a Child is  born." Isaiah 9:6

          

          It’s Christmas morning and many people may have already gone to the Christmas tree and opened their presents. If there are small children in the house, many adults might have even been awakened early to get this done. Well there was an early awakening on that first Christmas morn.

Babies don’t come into this world quietly. Mary had labor pains the same as any mother. Her pains brought about the same screams of any mother. And then, in that lowly stable, the greatest Christmas present ever was delivered. There wasn’t much sleep for mom or dad that night. But the excitement didn’t just occur in the stable.

Out on the hillside there were shepherds watching their flocks. Angels appeared and announced the promised birth of the child, a seven-hundred-year-old promise, and they were told where to find the present. Off they scooted to see the present they had long awaited. There wasn’t much sleep that night for the shepherds either.

Far, far away there were some wise men looking at the night sky. Then one of them shouted, “Look at that! We’ve been waiting for that star since we were told about it by Daniel five hundred years ago! Unto us a King is born!” In their excitement they may have started to plan their trip right away. They had a long way to go. They didn’t get much sleep either.

The mother and father gave their Child the gift of love that night. The shepherds gave the Child the gift of worship that night. The wise men planned what great gifts they would bring to the Child King. But most importantly, that night God gave to mankind the greatest gift of all. “For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given, and His name shall be called, “Wonderful Counselor,” “Almighty God”, the “Everlasting Father”, the “Prince of Peace”. May the Wonderful Son of God bring you the gift of peace this Christmas. 

The True Light of Christmas

“I am the Light of the World. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

How do we know how to live? Do we, like politicians, take a poll to see which way to go? Do we seek advice from the prophets of this age? Do we rightly go to God’s word and seek it there? Psalm 119 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” We remember from John 1:1 that Jesus Christ is God’s Word. Jesus said in John 7:16, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” Jesus lived and taught the enduring Word of God.

How do we know how to live for God we never read the Word of God? How do we know if we seldom hear it? If we went to school one day out of every seven and then test day came, how would we likely do? Jesus said quite clearly, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness.” He didn’t say that he who gives lip service to Him would not walk in darkness, but that he who follows Him wouldn’t. This is why we read in Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” Let us follow in His Light and clearly see our way in the darkness of this world.

Dear Father, Thank You for Jesus and Your written word. Help me daily to learn them better and follow them more closely. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net  

In Christ There Is No Condemnation

“Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’.” John 8:11

The adulterous woman had been caught and judged. Before her sentence was carried out her judges brought her to Jesus. That is where every guilty sinner needs to be brought. After a little bit her judges all left her and she was alone with Jesus. These next words are so important. “Neither to I condemn you; go and sin no more.” She had been judged by the law, the righteous Law of God. Jesus had mercy on her. That is the Gospel. Jesus told her to go and sin no more. That is the practical use of the law to guide our steps.

God’s righteous Law applies to all men, past and present. It was not a time sensitive set of rules, but His lasting expectation for the behavior of men. All men break that law, and that is called sin. We break it every day. God, in His mercy, has given His Son to forgive us our sin, but not ours alone. We must bring sinners to Jesus for His mercy on them as well. He is ready to forgive all who will kneel before Him and claim Him, the Son of God, as their Savior.

Dear Father, Thank You for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Help me to keep your Law and confess when I break it. Help me to bring others to find forgiveness in Christ. Amen.

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Who Is That Guy, Anyway?

“For even His brothers did not believe Him.” John 7:5

Has all your family trusted Christ as Savior? Does it hurt you to have them reject Him? Take heart. Jesus’ brothers did not believe Him. They lived with Him. They played with Him. They went to school with Him. They heard Him preach and saw His miracles. They didn’t believe Him. Not yet, anyway.

There are two books in the New Testament to show us that things changed. James and Jude are two of Jesus’ brothers. They are two who didn’t believe Him and then they did. How did this happen? I Corinthians 15:7 says simply, “After that He was seen by James.” After His resurrection, Jesus sought out His brothers to tell them one more time that He was truly the Son of God. On that last visit they believed in Him. Jesus just kept loving His family and sharing the Good News of who He was. At last they believed Him. Take heart; Jesus knows how much you love your family. He loved His, too. He cares for your family as much as He cared for His. Let your family see Jesus in you; let them hear Jesus from you. Let Jesus change their hearts.

Dear Father, I thank You that You understand all my feelings including my love for lost relatives. Father, I place them into Your hands. Amen.

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The Right Choice

“Peter answered, ‘To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’.” John 6:68

After looking at one of the saddest verses in Scripture it is refreshing to find this one. The multitude of disciples had left Jesus when He told them hard things to understand. But Peter spoke up for the remaining twelve and said, “Where else can we go? Only You provide eternal life.” That is faith commitment. That is true spiritual insight. There is no place to go for life and hope and peace besides Jesus Christ.

Over the many years of my pastorates a lot of people have come to church and been on fire for a while. But then, they are gone. They are not just gone from my church; they are gone and not going anywhere. I have never encountered a pastor who did not have the same frustration. Then there is the octogenarian who has been a member since birth. They don’t just sit; they work and pray. They stay through the good times and the lean times. They send you notes saying they are praying for you. Like the widow’s mite, they share their resources. And when they talk about Jesus their eyes light up and the tears of joy roll down their cheeks. That is a faith commitment. That is seeing Jesus as the true refuge for the soul.

Dear Father, let me be the one who stands by the testimony of my faith; the one who knows there is no other place to go but Jesus. Amen.

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Not What They Wanted to Hear

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” John 6:66

Talk about a sad verse of Scripture, this is it. People liked to follow Jesus for a variety of reasons. He was popular, at least with the common man. He was kind, even to the lepers. He was giving, as in feeding five thousand men plus women and children. He was interesting, as in more exciting to hear than the arguing between the Pharisees and Sadducees. In the modern world we could say that Jesus put on a good show and fed the people while He did it. But when it came down to calling them to a faith life, looking at the Father instead of the world; when it came time to call them to believe in that which was contrary to their perceived ideas; well it was different. Then the crowds of disciples left Him.

What about us? Are we in it with Jesus for the good things? Are we liking the “moving” worship services spiced with espresso coffee? Are we loving the variety of services our church “provides” for us? Are we loving the good show and not the Savior? Jesus looked at all those loving the good show and told them difficult things about really following Him. They left? What are we looking for in Jesus? Are we looking for a good show or a Lord who has expectations of us? Will the next and better “good show” pull us away from our current one? Or will we be satisfied with serving instead of being served? Will we be content to eat the True Bread of Life or demand glazed donuts with it? This moment in Jesus’ ministry was truly a sad story.

Dear Father, help me focus on Jesus and not seek the “good show” that attracts the flesh but leaves the spirit unfed. Amen.

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Living Bread

“For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. I am the Bread of Life.” John 6:33 and 35

The bread of God isn’t a thing. It is a person. If I feed someone bread today will they live forever? No! But if someone comes to Christ today, believing that He is the full provision of God for life now and forever; then they will live forever. Jesus had just fed five thousand people with a few loaves and fish. They remembered the wilderness wandering and how God had fed them every day for forty years. They wanted the same earthly provision from Jesus. “Prove you are God by feeding us bread every day for forty years,” was their taunt. Jesus said I can do better than that. “I am the Bread of Life. This is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die.”

The question is, would we like to eat bread forty years and then die, or would we like to eat the Bread of Life and live forever? Jesus gave Himself on the cross for our sins. The night before He did that He took bread and gave it to His disciples and said, “This is my body which is broken for you.” The true Bread of God is Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. He who feeds on this bread will live forever. As we share the love of God with those in need, we must not forget to make sure they also hear that it is Jesus Christ who alone can save them, not just from hunger, but from eternal death.

Dear Father, thank You for the gift of the Bread of Life and the eternal feast it provides for me. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net  

An Interesting Work

“This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29

The Jews had come to believe that salvation was through works; so they asked Jesus what “work” they must do to please God. All over the world people are still asking that question. They look to anyone who will give an answer; anyone that is except Christ. All religions have a code to live by if you want to get to heaven. For all of them salvation is by works. So, Jesus gave the simple true answer. The work of God is to believe in Christ. In other words, the work is not a work at all; it is faith. It is not blind faith in an indifferent god. It is faith in the revealed Son of God, Jesus Christ, sent by a loving God who cares for His creation.

This was Paul’s message to the Philippian jailer. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” It was Peter’s answer to the Jewish leaders. “For there is none other Name under heaven given whereby we must be saved.” It is John’s purpose for writing the fourth Gospel, “These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in Him.” It is by faith and not works that we are saved. Jesus did the work on the cross and we believe in Him. That is the work of God.

Dear Father, let me not become distracted by trying to earn my salvation; but let me daily rejoice in the finished work of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Is It All True?

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” John 5:46

Do pastors get annoyed? Yes! We get annoyed. When someone tells me that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament must be different gods; it annoys me. First it annoys me because these people have obviously read neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament. Without information they have come to a conclusion, and an errant conclusion at that. In Malachi 3:6 God says, “For I am the LORD; I do not change.” In Hebrews 13:8 the Bible declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” We have One eternal God revealed as Father, Son and Holy Ghost; who changes not.

That is important for us because it draws us into a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Old Testament. It is there that we first find Christ. In Genesis one He is the Creator. In Genesis three He is the promised Savior. In Genesis 6-8 He is the Ark of Safety. In Genesis twelve He is the Seed of Abraham that will bless all the world. And so on throughout the entire Old Testament. Don’t annoy your pastor. Learn to love the Old Testament and rejoice in Christ who is written about there. Remember, Jesus told the Jewish teachers that this is true and that they should read it more carefully.

Dear Father, help us each day to rejoice in Your eternal Word which teaches clearly about Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Both or None

“He who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 5:23

There are billions of people in the world today who say that they believe in God. Jesus says that number is much smaller than many claim. What is the evidence that we know God? We must acknowledge Jesus Christ as His Son. There are over one billion Muslims in this world and they all profess to know God. But they don’t. Why? Because they say that Jesus Christ is a prophet and proclaim firmly that “Allah is not begotten and Allah does not beget.” Allah has no son. Jesus said that to know God we must first give honor to Jesus as His Son. Billions more people are Hindus and Buddhists. They all claim to know God or be searching for Him. But they reject Jesus as God’s Son and therefore have turned away from truly searching for God or truth.

Jesus didn’t leave any doubt about His relationship to the Father. He is the only begotten Son of God. He is the eternal Word, who with the Father made all things. He is the one who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Do not be fooled by imitations. Unless people confess that Jesus Christ is the One True and Only Son of God, they don’t know God. What they are offering is a foundation of sand in this life and a worthless certificate to enter the next. Accept the only One who died for our sins and rose again for our justification and about whom the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”

Dear Father, help me daily to remember that there can be no substitute for Jesus and no other way to You than Him. Amen.

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Signs and Wonders?

Lessons from John: 15

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” John 4:48

I think I have heard it too many times to count. Why doesn’t God just show Himself and prove that He is real? Wow! I even hear that statement from believers, and it makes me sad. Let’s just look at a brief history of why it saddens me. In Exodus God delivered the Israelites from Egypt with many signs and wonders. But when they got to the other side of the Red Sea, they belly-ached and cried and moaned that Egypt was better and even made themselves a golden calf and called it god. Signs and wonders did not convince them. Centuries later Elijah called for God to send fire from heaven. God did and the people believed and followed God for about a month. Signs and wonders again didn’t do the trick.

Jesus showed signs and wonders all the time. Just count up how many miracles He did. What did the people do with Him? The crucified Him! Today’s verse wasn’t a commentary on what the people needed; it was a sad criticism of what they thought they needed. And people still ask for the same things today and then still don’t believe. Paul wrote to the Romans, “The just shall live by faith.” What God desires from us is faith that He is true, that His Son was the perfect sacrifice for sin, and that Christ’s resurrection from the dead provides eternal life to all who will believe in Him. Signs and wonders are not the means to salvation. Faith is.

Dear Father, help me to live by faith in the truth of Your word and in the death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Best Opening Statement

“Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’.” John 4:7

How easy is it to begin a dialogue about God? We often freeze up at the very thought of how to do it. But Jesus makes all the rough places plain. He makes talking about Him as simple as a four word introduction, “Give me a drink”. It wasn’t just the words He said that brought about the conversation; it was the kindness He showed in saying those words. Jews despised Samaritans and the Samaritans felt the hatred as a real lash on their backs. Jews wouldn’t even speak to Samaritans; but Jesus did.

His comments to her were couched in kindness. He didn’t run away when He saw her. He didn’t have anything nasty to say to demean her. He simply talked with her like He would talk to His own friends. That she found in Him a person who would treat her with dignity surprised her. It opened her up to hear words of even greater love from His lips. All conversations with others who are outside the church don’t have to begin with buttonholing them and saying, “Let me tell you about your sin and God’s grace.” They do need to begin with love, kindness, and the reality that we are genuinely concerned for them. Then, like the woman at the well, they just might give us the opening we need to make the greater story of Christ’s love for them clear.

Dear Father, Thank You for coming to us through the love of the cross and the humility of Christ. Help us to go in the same way to a world that needs You. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net  

Best Obedience

“But He needed to go through Samaria.” John 4:4

Have you ever needed to do something unpleasant? Could you have avoided the task and done something differently but with a less positive outcome? Maybe surgery was your best option but you chose physical therapy. Or, maybe changing jobs was truly the best option but you chose to stay where you were? We often avoid doing the necessary for the less painful options. But in this passage we see that Jesus NEEDED to go through Samaria.

Actually there was a path around Samaria that good Jews took from Judea to Galilee. Jesus didn’t take it. He took the path He needed to take. He needed to meet with a woman who was in great need; she just didn’t realize it. He needed to confront an entire town with the truth of who He was; they just didn’t know they needed it. The outcome of Jesus doing what He needed to do was salvation for many. The second outcome was that others second guessed His choice. We have to consider in our lives what choices we need to make to follow God and forget about those who would second guess our lives. We are in Christ and we need to follow Jesus who needed to go through Samaria.

Dear Father, Your Son did what He needed to do for Your glory. Please help me to do the same. Amen.

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Best Discernment

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

How long does it take to achieve greatness? Writers, actors, musicians, and artists often slave away in obscurity longing for that break that will make them famous and rich. The core of man craves importance. Satan tempted Eve with being like God; really important and powerful. We imagine what we would do if we suddenly had “it all”. That is what we get up for and work for and seek. Who really wants to be the “nobody”? Nobody does. We want to be the prom king and queen and take that high school glory the rest of the way through our lives.

 John the Baptist saw it differently. He said that Jesus must increase and he must decrease. If we want to let Jesus shine in our lives we must do the same. In John 12 there were some Greeks in Jerusalem who came to the disciples and asked to see Jesus. They didn’t want to see the disciples; they wanted to see God manifest in the flesh. People all around us need to see Jesus. The question for each of us is, “Do they?” Or do we keep getting in the way. We must decrease and He must increase. If we do then He will and the world will truly see Him.

Dear Father, Help me each day to stand behind my Savior and not in front of Him. Let other people see Jesus and not me. Amen.  

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Best Promise

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten so, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

We all know somebody who likes to tell the same stories over and over again. Sometimes we smile as we hear them. Sometimes we groan because we have to hear them again. And sometimes we avoid those people so that we don’t have to hear them again. But today’s verse is a story so wonderful that the repeat telling of it only becomes better each time. Some very great preachers have spent months just preaching on this one verse.

What makes it so great? Well, it is a love story; God’s love. It is also a mystery; why would He give His Son to die for us? It has a happy ending for those who believe it. It has universal appeal; it is for the whole world. Everyone everywhere can love it. They can find hope and joy in it. They can hear the greatest promise by the Great God of creation and know it is for them and not someone else. Who wouldn’t want to hear this story over and over again? Who wouldn’t want to retell this story as often as they could?

Dear Father, Thank You for the greatest true story ever told and for the hope and joy and promise that that story gives to us all. Amen.

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Best Answer

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God’.” John 3:3

When Jesus began His answer to Nicodemus it may seem that He wasn’t concerned with Nicodemus’ question. That would be incorrect. He was concerned with the question that was about to be asked, “How can I know God like You do?” Nicodemus knew the Scriptures very well. He was a teacher of the Jews. He had memorized all five books of the Law, all of the Psalms, and all of Isaiah at the very least. He knew all about God; but he didn’t know God. What he had come to Jesus to find was how to know God.

The answer Jesus gave has never changed. To know God we must be born again. We come into this world tainted by sin. We are damaged goods by being descendants of Adam and equally guilty of his sin. That birth is good enough to live on this earth; but it is not good enough to get us to heaven. To know God we must be born again. We must be born by the Holy Spirit through faith in God’s Son Jesus Christ and in His perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Jesus included all that in His answer to Nicodemus. (John 3:3-21) Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’.” That is the unchanging truth of God.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Your Son to die for my sins so that through faith in Him I may be forgiven and born again into Your family. Amen.

 

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More Than a Teacher

“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.” John 3:2

Lots of people come to Christ with the same attitude of Nicodemus. He was a good religious fellow, an esteemed teacher among the Jews. They recognize that Jesus isn’t any ordinary man; but that He was very special. Today there are religious teachers that believe and teach that Jesus was an extraordinary man, a true example to live by, a great teacher, even a prophet. Even the Muslim world venerates Jesus as a prophet. Nicodemus wasn’t alone in his esteem for the man Jesus. But Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand the full truth.

Jesus isn’t just a good man or a great man. He isn’t just a teacher, example, or prophet. Jesus is God in the flesh, fully God and fully man. When Nicodemus tried to protest that such faith in Jesus was beyond reason; Jesus appealed to Scripture. The Old Testament taught about the coming Messiah. “For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Jesus reminded Nicodemus that it taught that the Messiah would have to be lifted up as Moses had lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Nicodemus understood the story and its meaning right away. Jesus was the Son of God who came into the world to offer forgiveness for sins and everlasting life. Don’t let anyone sell you short on who Jesus is. He is the only begotten Son of God, our Savior.

Dear Father, Thank You for making it so clear who Jesus is that anyone who looks at Your word may know Him. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net