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ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: John 3:9-21

Opps! site malfunctioned there for a few minutes...it posted my post four times!


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Sandra Miller

 2012/7/31 12:25Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: John 3:9-21

Opps! site malfunctioned there for a few minutes...it posted my post four times!


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2012/7/31 12:25Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: John 3:9-21

Opps! site malfunctioned there for a few minutes...it posted my post four times!


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2012/7/31 12:25Profile









 John 3:9-21

Ginnyrose posted:

"There is one question that dogs most folks when they are presented with the teachings, claims of Jesus. Just exactly why should they concern me? Why should I listen? By what authority does He speak? Or, is he legitimate?

Many false messiahs had come into the world and continue to come - Jesus promised this. But what distinguishes them from the true Messiah? And would you believe, the devil still whispers these questions to my heart! Well, he does and I am a grandmother. SIGH. Never mind the wonderful supernatural experiences that I have been exposed to, he will still work to get me to doubt Him.

As I ponder this and the dilemma Nicodemus presented to Jesus. He gave him some interesting answers.

1. Nicodemus offered one: No one can do these signs unless God is with him. Signs and miracles.

2. We speak that which we know and bear witness. This is powerful: a personal witness: I know beyond a shadow of a doubt. This is what I have seen and heard. This lends authority to any witness.

3. He descended from heaven! (v13) Whoa! how many prophets or Messiahs will say that?! He is saying I got it from God himself! I was there, that is where I come from. Oh...oh.

Here you have three proofs of his legitimacy:
1. Miracles.
2. Witness
3. He came from God.

Jesus' life proved his origins. He was kind, he helped people, he preached holiness - working to draw men and women to God, reproved sin, preached repentance. He lived a consistent life.

Does my life demonstrate my new birth in Christ Jesus?"

-------------

I don't believe in 'coincidences' - in that this post was Multiplied ... for not a sparrow falls without His Will :)


It's an excellent word and we all need to hear it!


Thank you and GOD continue to Bless you and us through your posts.


 2012/8/1 12:11
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: John 3:9-21

As I look at this portion I see a recurring word, the word "believe". As I think about it, I am struck with its power in the life a person.

When a body believes something he/she will act on that belief. It will determine how you live: define your goals in life, how you relate to people, the decisions on what you buy and why. If you disbelieve something you will act accordingly. Belief is a great motivator, like fear is.

Jesus used this word in connection to Him. It is used seven times, I think.

Believing anything involves a decision on the individual. You choose to believe or disbelieve. It is a choice. Sometimes this choices is forced upon you by circumstances, pleasant and otherwise. Jesus referred to this choice in verse 12: "“If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"

What power does believing on Jesus afford to the individual? What Jesus says is so powerful:

1. Believing in Him will result in eternal life.

2. Belief in him will spare you from eternal punishment.v16

3. Belief in Jesus spares one from judgement.v.18

4. One who does not believe will be judged.

5. The cause for judgement is disbelief in Jesus. Simple! v. 18

Do I believe that strongly in Jesus? Do I appreciate the power afforded me by Believing in Jesus Christ, the son of man, the son of God?


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Sandra Miller

 2012/8/1 16:10Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 John 3:14-15

John 3:14-15: NASB
14 And as Moses lifter up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up

15 that whosoever believes in Him may in Him have eternal life.

COMMENT:

Numbers 21 details the incident of Moses lifting up this serpent.

God had granted then victory over their enemies and afterwards moved to another place. While there their water got in short supply and they got tired of manna, so they complained. In response to their faithlessness, God sent fiery serpents among them, bit them and some died. This shocked the people so that they admitted their sin and appealed to Moses that he would pray for relief.

Moses did as requested. In answer to his plea, God told him to build a brass serpent and hang it on a tree and then if anyone gets bitten if they looked at it they would be healed.

As I consider this scenario, I wonder how a person could stand to look at a brass viper that was made in the image of the one that bit you, especially after being in severe pain and fever. Most people could not stand it. To look meant you have to fight natural impulses - you want to look the other way. But God said look if you want to be healed.

These serpents that God sent were a judgement meted out on the people's rebellion. The symbol Moses built was then a means to their healing. Powerful lesson here.

Do we recognize the judgments of God as a means to our healing, our redemption? Can we understand affliction, chastisement to be redemptive?

Can we see how this is a powerful type of how God deals with us and the role Jesus played in our redemption?

John tells us that Jesus would need to be hung up like this serpent was for our redemption.

We sinned, rebelled; God sends judgement to make us aware of our inadequacies. Now God is telling us that if we look to the cross, seeing this innocent man hanging there, all bloody, ugly and gross and telling us that if you look to Him it will save you... Can you do it? Can you stand to look at this man up there? And what is the result?


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Sandra Miller

 2012/8/2 11:56Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 John 4:7-10

John 4:7-10 NASB

7There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”

8For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

9Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

COMMENT:

Interesting insights in this event.

I see a powerful strategy Jesus is using here to reach this woman. (Hate to use the word 'strategy' because the Holy Spirit is not into strategy but will use the word to demonstrate what I am about to say.)

Jesus used a common expression to get the conversation started and then he built on it from there to go where he wanted.

This is a powerful lesson one can use in witnessing: begin where the people are and build on it. Mentioning it seems like a waste of time, but how many times do we fail in taking common observations, requests and use them as a tool to witness? Jesus did it all the time and succeeded quite well. The reason He succeeded is because he was speaking to her on her level - her language. This is extremely important when witnessing.

May we ever be alert to the possibilities that surround us as we mingle with the public.






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Sandra Miller

 2012/8/3 9:07Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: John 4:7-10

QUOTE:
_______________________________________________________________
Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”

“How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
______________________________________________________________

I find Jesus willingness to defy the prevailing culture inspiring in order to minister to this woman.

There are several principles of the prevailing culture Jesus defied in speaking to this woman:

1. Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans.

2. Jewish men did not speak to women in public. Not even their wife or mother.

3. Jewish men placed low value on females: "Thank-you, God you did not make me a woman" many Jewish males prayed. This mindset they imbibed by their interactions with surrounding pagan cultures.

4. Unlike the Jewish leadership, Jesus knew females were capable of understanding the deep things of God, including a Samaritan woman, an outcast according to Jewish culture.

5. Jesus asked the woman for a drink of water. To drink from a vessel handles by a Samaritan woman would have been understood to have been unclean by most Jews.

This incident has taught me so much: Jesus loves everyone. He cared nothing about prevailing culture - He looked beyond it and saw people who needed Him and worked to make himself available to them. WOW!

I grew up in a very sheltered environment. As a result strangers intimidated me, especially those different from us. I had my girls friends but for the most part my best friends was an animal that I tamed on the farm. As a result I looked on different people with suspicion. However, as I grew up, matured, the Holy Spirit changed this radically. By the time I was 40YO I applied for and was accepted to work at a CPC. There we met sinners of all kinds except for lesbians, obviously. When I saw people come in that door, the Holy Spirit would remind me that Jesus really loves her - and sometimes him, as well. Since this is the case, I must allow this love to flow through me to them! It was not hard, but when I felt like I was running low, I had to ask the LORD for a renewed infusion of this love!

Ah, isn't God good?!

The woman at the well...more insights to follow, Lord willing.


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Sandra Miller

 2012/8/4 10:46Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 John 4:13, 14

John 4:13,14 NASB

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;

14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

COMMENT:

Jesus uses water as a metaphor to demonstrate to this woman what will happen to a body when he/she will drink from what He offers.

Water is essential to life: without it you will die. Hence when a body is ill the medical experts get concerned it will stay hydrated. Plants are dependent upon water for their survival, some require more then others, but they still need some amount of water.

The human body needs to imbibe water all during the day. You do not drink your days' quota all at one time and that is enough for the remaining twenty-four hours. The more you drink, the more you want - one can really work up an appetite for it simply by drinking more of it.

So it is when we drink of the WORD that Jesus provides. He satisfies, but the more you drink from him the more satisfying He is. As water is to the body, so the WORD is essential for our spiritual health - to be in a constant state of prayer throughout the day, "Pray without ceasing" says Paul.

As I read this verse something clicked in my mind....I used to wonder how on earth can it happen that people will walk away from Christianity to embrace Islam, Atheism, Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age, or any kind of isms. How can you do THAT?? I always sensed they must not have known the LORD in order to do so. Then I read this, "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst.." Yes, this is true: these people never did drink from Jesus' well. Since they were thirsty they went scouting around for another philosophy, looking for something that will satisfy. Simple.

Yes, Jesus does satisfy. If you have not found it so could it be because there is an obstruction in the pipe line that interferes? Sin will do that, you know.

God bless.


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Sandra Miller

 2012/8/6 10:43Profile
enid
Member



Joined: 2006/5/22
Posts: 2680
Nottingham, England

 Re: John 4:13, 14


Quote: "...they must not have known the LORD in order to do so."

So true.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

And He is.

 2012/8/6 10:55Profile





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