I toke the opportunity to read ahead a little bit. Many times when I write the Word of the day it is days before I actually send them. This one was written the same day I received this attached response to a previous Word of the day. Solemnly funny how it is still is fitting with this text as well. May God bless these words and press in hearts that which is truth.
While John 3:16 might be the all time fvorite verse of many... The Holy Spirit time and time again has brought me back to John 3:17..."He sent his Son... not to condemn the world.. ...ahhh. ..In Philipians chapter 2 we are reminded that our attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ...so I'm figuring, we weren't sent here to condemn anyone either...but I have found that folks who call themselves Christians can eat each other alive...There are splits in the body over divorce & remarriage, secular music, Pokemon & even what version of the Bible we read...! Ouch! I'm not sure the woman at the well was condemned was she? How about any number of the sinners that flocked to the feet of Jesus.. Look at the secound part of the verse....but the world through him might be saved.. If that doesn't give you Holy goose bumps nothing will! It wipes the slate clean of legalism & judgement and leaves a wide open field for
GRACE!!!... How thankful am I !...
So the next time one of those teen girls wears a skirt much to short for church, or the women's Bible study puts out a prayer request for someones child cause they listen to a certain type of music... Just remember JOhn 3:17.. and with the Grace our Lord gave you... give to others!
Peace of Christ be with you
Le
Jhn 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
Jhn 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
- Who was debating?
- What were they debating?
- Should they have been debating?
A favorite device of Satan is to attempt to make one servant of the Lord envious of another. Or worse yet divert attention from Christ and place significant importance on that which doesn’t contribute to the gospel and the message of His grace. In the previous verses I have heard (religious) people focus on nothing more than an in depth discussion of the proper means of baptism. While I feel it is important for baptism by full emersion, of much greater value is why we baptize and in whose name. What benefit is there in discussions with an unbeliever in if to be baptized the waters must be running, or still or you must be dipped front ways or backwards or best yet the belief you must be baptized as a member of a particular church. What much greater benefit to that unbeliever would the message be that it doesn’t matter what we do in regards to redemption and that Christ was buried and bore the complete price of His peoples sins. While as a believer I have a responsibility, and privilege to server the Lord, and without excuses I must obey His ordinances. I pray that my message is not the things I do or you need to do but rather what He has done. Don’t focus on worldly things for there here for the flesh. Keep your eyes, mind and message by the grace of God focused on His glory. (I Tim 1:4-11)
