Born and guided from above

New Guest: Like this one, most entries are devotional. Those related to Car Biz can be located by searching the blog archives for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first entry, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. I hope you'll record your responses as you read, since these entries serve best as the first remarks in a coversation.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will


Monday, August 9, 2010 Devotions: Ps 89; Jdg 12:1-7; Acts 5:12-26; Jn 3:1-21

Lord, I will sing of Your steadfast love forever, and proclaim Your righteousness to every generation. You have established Your love and mastery forever; Your covenant was sworn to David. Let all creation praise God in His goodness! None is mighty as You are, YHWH! All that is, is Yours by creation and control. Your throne rests on righteousness and justice. You have exalted David and his house, and You will keep his house forever. You keep Your covenant faithfully, and it will stand while the earth endures. Do not be angry forever, Lord; send forth Your love and Your Spirit, and bless us, while You destroy Your enemies.

After the tragedy of sacrificing his daughter because of a foolish vow, Jephthah was challenged by the forces of Ephraim. Jephthah and the forces of Gilead defeated Ephraim. They seized the river fords, and used the word 'Shibboleth' as a discriminating password. They killed 42,000 Ephraimites. And Jephthah judged Israel for six years, died, and was buried in Gilead.

Jesus' apostles did many acts of power among the people, gathering the believers in Solomon's Portico in Jerusalem. They carried the sick into the streets, arranged so that Peter's shadow would fall on them when he passed. People brought the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits from all around Jerusalem, and they were all healed! But the high priest and his party, the Sadducees, rose up against the followers of Jesus, arrested and imprisoned the apostles. But at night, God's angel opened the prison doors and brought them out, and directed them to begin teaching in the temple. At daybreak, the apostles began to do this. When the Jewish authorities covenend and sent for the men they thought were in prison, the officers reported that they found the jail locked, but empty. The Jewish leaders were amazed. Someone came in and told the assembly, 'The men you imprisoned are standing in the temple, teaching the people.' The captain and his officers brought the apostles before the council, but without violence, since they were wary of being stoned by the people.

A Pharisee and member of the Council named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, and said, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent from God. No one could do what You do unles God is with him.' Jesus replied, 'Truly, truly I tell you: uless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Jesus, 'How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and then be born?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly I tell you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God's kingdom. What is born from flesh is flesh; and what is born from Spirit is spirit. Don't wonder that I told you that you must be born anew. The wind blows wherever it wills and you hear its sound, yet you cannot know its origin or destination. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.' Nicodemus said, 'How can this be?' And Jesus answered, 'Are you Israel's teacher and yet you do not understand this? I tell you must solemnly that I am discussing things I know and witnessing about things I have seen Myself; but you do not receive our testimony. If I told you e arthly things and you don't believe, how could you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except He Who descended from heaven: the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life! For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned; and whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of God's only Son. This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but humans loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates and avoids the light, lest his deeds be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, that it may be seen clearly that his deeds have been accomplished in and through God.'