Cedar Ridge Community Church: Lenten Devotions: 10th Day of Lent

John 3: 1-21 (New International Version)

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 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."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

"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!"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 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."

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Friday, March 6, 2009

10th Day of Lent

Into the wild…

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
…My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Scriptures taken from:
Psalm 25:4- 5, Isaiah 55:8-10, Isaiah 43:1-3 (New International Version)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...: Jesus, show my your ways, which are higher than my ways - the ways of your kingdom, that we may live it out here on this earth. Praise you that you call us each by name - that though God of the universe, you are still a loving & personal God, with whom we can enter into intimate relationship. Make the cry of my heart to have you show me your ways - not to work things out according to my way, which is a much more common plea on my part. Help me to remember that you satisfy my desires with good things (Ps 103), not necessarily the things that I think I want or need - but truly good things. May I live in constant awareness of your care for me & with at strengthening desire to live out your kingdom [i.e., to mean it when I pray for you to show me your ways].; March 6, 2009 at 7:16 AM
GKW1949 said...: There is a Proverb (14:12) that says: There is a way (path) that seams right (wide and pleasant) unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. That would be an avenue laid out by the enemy, the devil.

So if there is a path that "seems" right unto a man that leads to death, would there not also be a path that seems wrong unto a man (flesh) that leads to "Life"?; March 6, 2009 at 8:00 AM

Subscribe via email

About Me

Archives

Followers

Friday, March 6, 2009

10th Day of Lent

2 comments: