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Jesus, Lessons for Life 10
6/28/2010 6:38:16 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

faith, lessons for life


Last time we quoted scripture from John 3, as Jesus was instructing Nicodemus. Jesus was instructing his about the need to be born of the spirit, which was a very difficult lesson for Nicodemus.

We see in the context of that discussion what a marvelous teacher our Savior is. Christ gives us examples to illustrate the faith He requires. He did so for Nicodemus. Those examples, often in the form of metaphors, parables, stories and questions, are great tools to help us think about the "spiritual things" so important in our walk with Christ.
In this example, Jesus used the wind as an example to help us understand and have faith about the "Spirit" He is referring to in the lesson.
Jn 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’”
Jn 3:4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
Jn 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Jn 3:6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
Jn 3:7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
Jn 3:8 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.”
Jn 3:9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
Jn 3:10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?
 
What a wonderful metaphor -- the wind. We don't question all of the details about the wind, yet we know it is real, that it is blowing, whether we simply hear it, or see the movement of things around us, or feel the breeze on our faces. So it should be with the Holy Spirit.
Yet still Nicodemus could not get his mind and heart around this important teaching.
Key Lesson — Faith is fundamental to our growth as Christians. It is fundamental to salvation. As we seek to learn details, we must be aware and willing to accept Christ and his teachings on faith, learning from the powerful metaphors He provides as we grow.

Blessings,

Larry

 

Jesus, Lessons for Life 9
6/21/2010 5:41:29 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

faith, lessons for life


Lessons from Christ require faith.

As his fame was rapidly growing, Jesus revealed his true mission on earth. This happened in the context of teaching and counseling Nicodemus, a high ranking Jewish Pharisee. 
It is interesting that, given his position of power and influence, Nicodemus sought out Jesus under the cover of darkness. Even so, it shows how even some high ranking members of Jewish leadership were drawn to the Truth of our Savior. 
Jesus taught him using metaphors, yet is still left Nicodemus struggling to find answers.  He remained in a position where he would have to make some decisions and commitments based on faith, just as we do.
John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’”
4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is 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.’
 
Key Lesson — Every lesson from Christ may not be 100% spelled out in black and white. That would be where faith enters the picture as we study. The Bible does not elaborate completely on all topics. It requires faith to learn and follow.

Thank you,

Larry

Jesus, Lessons for Life 8
6/14/2010 7:13:42 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

lessons for life


Jesus Know Our Hearts

Confrontations with religious leaders
Throughout Christ’s ministry, He had many encounters with religious leaders and teachers of the day. We will use these along our journey to see how Jesus confronted their past practices, his efforts to provoke them to think, his striving to teach them, even his love for them. It must have been so very sad for him to see the teaching and leadership errors within the leadership of God’s chosen people.
After clearing the temple of the vendors, the Jewish leaders demanded some “miraculous sign” or proof of his authority. It is here that we start to see a trend by Christ that he used frequently in his teaching ministry—to speak of things in metaphors and with symbolism in order to provoke thought.
Actually, during this Passover period, we see that Christ did provide miraculous signs, and as a consequence, more came to believe in him. Yet those religious leaders who had demanded of Jesus miraculous signs to prove his authority did not accept the miracles as proof.  
We also see that Jesus could know the hearts of men, and that as people came to him, he was able to discern what was in them, just as he can discern our motives behind all of our actions.
John 2:23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.
24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.
25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
Key Lesson — Jesus knows our hearts. We must understand that it is vital that we learn to follow Christ in the right spirit, not just going through the motions, sitting in church each Sunday, etc. Our Lord knows our internal thoughts and motivations.
Blessings,

Larry

Jesus, Lessons for Life 7
6/7/2010 9:39:02 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

lessons for life

Learning from Christ's Lessons Sometimes Occurs Later

As we encounter life's challenges and difficult circumstances, it can be difficult to discern God's hand in the context of what is happening at that moment. We often have tunnel vision about the pain we feel.  Sometimes we are not even looking for what God is perhaps trying to work in our lives.
 
Let's look at an example from John. In "Lessons for Life 5" we examined the time when Jesus cleared the temple, as told in John 2. As a part of that emotional event, Christ made a statement which would be important for his disciples and followers. However, they did not have a clue what He was describing in the moment, but Jesus knew that following his resurrection that they would recall these words and have a full understanding of the lesson and its meaning.
 
Here is the passage and this explanation.
 
What was the purpose of Jesus’ statement in John 2:19? 

Jn 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
It was a lagging lesson for his disciples, part of his plan to prepare them, but when they were ready to understand, not now. 

Jn 2:22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
You perhaps can recall and describe times when God was taking action in your life, but you did not know the lessons until later.  Wouldn't it be great if we could improve our capacity to catch these lessons from God as they happen.  Here is a question that is worth our time to think about:
How do we become better at recognizing God’s hand in our life?
As our faith increases, as we grow in Christ, we should gain more aware.  Here are some suggestions that can help.  
  •  Learn to watch.  Be more aware, especially in emotional and/or painful moments.

  • Take time to reflect, to look in the rear view mirror to find the lessons from past events in your life, both the peaks and the valleys; pay particular attention to the valleys. In our pain and suffering as a consequence of life's challenges, we often do not recognize the Lord's hand until later, sometimes much later.

  • Trust.  When in a difficult time, know that God is in control.  Take comfort in that.  Recognize that you may not understand until later, but seek understanding.

  • Pray for discernment and understanding.
It can be easy to miss God's plan and his work.  When God rescues us, in the moment we may simply credit it to "good luck," not taking the time and effort to see that it was actually the work of the Holy Spirit. Give God the credit. If you find yourself saying or thinking as follows:
  • "What good luck..."
  •  "What a coincidence..."
  • "Fate was..."
These should be like triggers that send you into deep reflection to recognize lessons that God is teaching you. Don't pass up the chance to learn and to draw closer to Him.
Blessings to you all,

Larry

 

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