In the 8th chapter of John a woman found committing adultery was brought to Jesus while he was in the temple teaching. The scribes and Pharisees reminded Jesus that according to the Law, Moses said she should be stoned to death. But, they said, what do you say? They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus of going against the Law of Moses. Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger, as though he did not hear them.
When they would not let him alone, Jesus stood up and said "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". The scribes and Pharisees that heard his words were convicted of their sins by their own conscience. In other words, all of them remembered their own sins which they had committed and began to walk away, beginning with the oldest to the youngest.
None of them were without sin, and Jesus knew it. He himself was the only on present who had no sin, and thus the right to judge her. And he chose not to!
After everyone left who had accused the woman of adultery, Jesus stood up, looked around and said "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?" Then the woman responded, "No man, Lord." Jesus then replied to her, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Jesus did not say that the woman did not deserve to be stoned according to the Law. He did not deny her guilt. He simply chose not to condemn but to forgive her instead. After forgiving her he told her to go and sin no more. What a loving Savior he is!
Following this Jesus said to those looking on, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Sin is darkness. This woman was living in darkness, bound by a life of adultery just as so many are today. But Jesus is the light of the world. That means He has come to deliver all of mankind from the darkness of sin. He has paid the price for all of us to be free from sin no matter what our sins are! He has not come to condemn us for our sins but to save us from them! How wonderful!
He has paid the price for our sins with his own blood on the Cross and shown us the way out of sin and death... He is the Light of the world. He is saying to you that if you will follow him, you will not walk in the darkness of sin, but will have the light of life!
Won't you call upon him now, ask him to forgive you of your sins and begin to follow him today. If you will ask him, he will forgive you, even as he did this woman. Remember, He has not come to condemn you, but to save you!
Jesus is the Light of the world!
The Mary Question? Luke 11:27-28
One day while Jesus was teaching, a woman in the crowd yelled out a compliment to him about his mother Mary. Following is the account of this incident and Jesus' surprising response to the woman's compliment:
27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
So what the woman said in our way of speaking is this: "Blessed is the womb that birthed you, and the breasts that nursed you."
And here's what Jesus said in reply, "Yes, you're right Mary is blessed, but those who hear my words and do them are even more blessed than she!"
Why did he say such a thing? Well, let's find out!
Many today still honor Mary very highly as this woman did, for giving birth to the Savior of the world! And I agree that Mary is to be highly esteemed. For she was chosen by God to fulfill one of the most important assignments given to any person on earth. She brought the Savior of all mankind into the world to die for our sins! And we should highly esteem her for the importance of her task and for the sake of her obedience!
But of far greater importance, is what Jesus did himself! After Mary gave him birth, he took the sins of the world upon himself and died upon the Cross for all men! And when you hear and believe this message, you have a right to eternal life!
And that's what makes you more blessed than Mary's blessing for mothering Jesus. Because Mary was not saved because she gave birth and nursed Jesus, but because she also believed in him for the forgiveness of her sins!
Mary too had to receive forgiveness from her sins through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, the same as you and me!
Won't you believe that Jesus died on the Cross for you? If you do then pray to God and ask him to forgive you of your sins in Jesus' name. He will, no matter who you are or what you've done!
Ask him now!
27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
So what the woman said in our way of speaking is this: "Blessed is the womb that birthed you, and the breasts that nursed you."
And here's what Jesus said in reply, "Yes, you're right Mary is blessed, but those who hear my words and do them are even more blessed than she!"
Why did he say such a thing? Well, let's find out!
Many today still honor Mary very highly as this woman did, for giving birth to the Savior of the world! And I agree that Mary is to be highly esteemed. For she was chosen by God to fulfill one of the most important assignments given to any person on earth. She brought the Savior of all mankind into the world to die for our sins! And we should highly esteem her for the importance of her task and for the sake of her obedience!
But of far greater importance, is what Jesus did himself! After Mary gave him birth, he took the sins of the world upon himself and died upon the Cross for all men! And when you hear and believe this message, you have a right to eternal life!
And that's what makes you more blessed than Mary's blessing for mothering Jesus. Because Mary was not saved because she gave birth and nursed Jesus, but because she also believed in him for the forgiveness of her sins!
Mary too had to receive forgiveness from her sins through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, the same as you and me!
Won't you believe that Jesus died on the Cross for you? If you do then pray to God and ask him to forgive you of your sins in Jesus' name. He will, no matter who you are or what you've done!
Ask him now!
Jesus Christ:The Farmer of the Heart! Matthew 13:1-9
Jesus was teaching his disciples in the house on a certain day, as he often did. Afterwards, he went outside and sat by the seaside or beach. A large number of people, maybe even thousands gathered around him to listen to him teach. And here is what he said, (Matthew 13:4-9):
3...Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scortched; and becasue they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
In the above story, Jesus tells of a farmer who went out throwing seeds indescriminatly onto different kinds of ground, some fell outside the plowed rows onto trails where men walked. Birds ate those seed, as they lay on top of the ground. (verse 4)
Some of the seed fell on rocky places where there was not much fertile soil, and they grew up fast because of the shallowness of the ground below them. When the sun came out, they quickly dried up and died because their roots could not push through the hard ground to find moisture. (verses 5-6)
And some fell into places where thorns grew. When the thorns grown to maturity their roots choked out the good seed, and they too died. (verse 7)
Yet some of the seed fell into fertile, plowed rows where they were intended to be planted, and all of these produced a crop; some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold and some a thirtyfold crop. (verse 8)
When Jesus had finished telling this story to the great crowd he said with a loud voice, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"! (Matthew 13:9; Luke 8:8)
And I say to you, even as Jesus said to those who were listening to him that day; if you have ears to hear, then hear what the Lord Jesus is saying to you through this story today!
And know that Jesus is still The Farmer of the Heart!
3...Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scortched; and becasue they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
In the above story, Jesus tells of a farmer who went out throwing seeds indescriminatly onto different kinds of ground, some fell outside the plowed rows onto trails where men walked. Birds ate those seed, as they lay on top of the ground. (verse 4)
Some of the seed fell on rocky places where there was not much fertile soil, and they grew up fast because of the shallowness of the ground below them. When the sun came out, they quickly dried up and died because their roots could not push through the hard ground to find moisture. (verses 5-6)
And some fell into places where thorns grew. When the thorns grown to maturity their roots choked out the good seed, and they too died. (verse 7)
Yet some of the seed fell into fertile, plowed rows where they were intended to be planted, and all of these produced a crop; some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold and some a thirtyfold crop. (verse 8)
When Jesus had finished telling this story to the great crowd he said with a loud voice, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"! (Matthew 13:9; Luke 8:8)
And I say to you, even as Jesus said to those who were listening to him that day; if you have ears to hear, then hear what the Lord Jesus is saying to you through this story today!
And know that Jesus is still The Farmer of the Heart!
Jesus Christ: The True Bread from Heaven! - John 6:28-33
Someone came to Jesus and asked him, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Or we would say, what do we have to do in order to please God?" John 6:28
And here was Jesus' answer: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he sent." verse 29. Here is how we would say that today: What you need to do to please God is to believe the one that God sent to you! Jesus of course was referring to himself.
Then those Jews who were talking to Jesus said, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? John 6:30. In other words, they were asking Jesus what sign or miracle would he perform to prove to them that he had been sent from God like Moses.
Then they said unto Jesus, "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat" (John 6:31), ; suggesting that Moses had done this great miracle by giving their Jewish ancestors "bread from heaven".
Jesus corrected them by saying in a word that it was not Moses that gave them bread from heaven to eat (It was God!). Then Jesus said, "but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." verse 32.
Next Jesus made an astounding statement: "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world". verse 33
Jesus of course spoke of himself as bread in a figurative sense, because bread gives life to the body when eaten. But Jesus gives eternal life to the spirit of man when believed upon! That's why Jesus said to them in verse 29, when they asked him what must they do to please God--believe on him (Jesus) whom he (God the Father) has sent.
If you want to please God, you must believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin. How do you do this? By believing the Gospel.
What is the Gospel? It is the 'Good News': That Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that he was sent from Heaven for the purpose of dying for our sins. And after paying for our sins on the Cross, he went to hell for us, and was resurrected the third day!
If you believe this, then ask him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart, making you a son of God! He will!
Jesus is The Bread of Heaven which if a person eats, he or she will receive eternal life!
If you received Jesus Christ today, all Heaven rejoices with you! And I rejoice with you! E-mail me and I will help you to understand how to live for Him-- as we await his appearing!
And here was Jesus' answer: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he sent." verse 29. Here is how we would say that today: What you need to do to please God is to believe the one that God sent to you! Jesus of course was referring to himself.
Then those Jews who were talking to Jesus said, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? John 6:30. In other words, they were asking Jesus what sign or miracle would he perform to prove to them that he had been sent from God like Moses.
Then they said unto Jesus, "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat" (John 6:31), ; suggesting that Moses had done this great miracle by giving their Jewish ancestors "bread from heaven".
Jesus corrected them by saying in a word that it was not Moses that gave them bread from heaven to eat (It was God!). Then Jesus said, "but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." verse 32.
Next Jesus made an astounding statement: "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world". verse 33
Jesus of course spoke of himself as bread in a figurative sense, because bread gives life to the body when eaten. But Jesus gives eternal life to the spirit of man when believed upon! That's why Jesus said to them in verse 29, when they asked him what must they do to please God--believe on him (Jesus) whom he (God the Father) has sent.
If you want to please God, you must believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin. How do you do this? By believing the Gospel.
What is the Gospel? It is the 'Good News': That Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that he was sent from Heaven for the purpose of dying for our sins. And after paying for our sins on the Cross, he went to hell for us, and was resurrected the third day!
If you believe this, then ask him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart, making you a son of God! He will!
Jesus is The Bread of Heaven which if a person eats, he or she will receive eternal life!
If you received Jesus Christ today, all Heaven rejoices with you! And I rejoice with you! E-mail me and I will help you to understand how to live for Him-- as we await his appearing!
Jesus: The Good Shepherd! Luke 15:4-7
On a certain occasion, Jesus was accused by some of the religious leaders in Israel of accepting sinners into his company and even eating with them. Here is how Jesus replied (Luke 15:4-7):
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentence.
The men of Israel understood sheep herding, because it had been a fundamental occupation in Israel from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hundreds of years earlier. Jesus knew that they understood the strong love of a shepherd for each of his sheep. And based on that kind of love, they all knew that it was not uncommon for a shepherd to leave 99 sheep in the wilderness under the care of another and go after the one that was lost, until it was found. And when it was found, the shepherd would carry it home on his shoulders and celebrate its return with friends and neighbors!
By this example, Jesus expressed why he kept company with sinful people. Because he sees us as precious lost sheep that only He can save!
In John 10:11 Jesus says of himself, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth this life for the sheep." And in vs. 27-28, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
Are you a lost sheep belonging to Jesus? If you are, then you will hear his voice calling you through this message. And if you hear his voice, repent and turn from your sins and follow him! He is ready to receive you now! Just tell him you are sorry for you sin, and ask him to forgive you and to come into your heart and to change your life. He will, just as he has done for me and many others! Only don't put it off. You need to do it now. Go ahead and pray. Then let me know by e-mail!
And Heaven will rejoice!
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentence.
The men of Israel understood sheep herding, because it had been a fundamental occupation in Israel from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hundreds of years earlier. Jesus knew that they understood the strong love of a shepherd for each of his sheep. And based on that kind of love, they all knew that it was not uncommon for a shepherd to leave 99 sheep in the wilderness under the care of another and go after the one that was lost, until it was found. And when it was found, the shepherd would carry it home on his shoulders and celebrate its return with friends and neighbors!
By this example, Jesus expressed why he kept company with sinful people. Because he sees us as precious lost sheep that only He can save!
In John 10:11 Jesus says of himself, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth this life for the sheep." And in vs. 27-28, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
Are you a lost sheep belonging to Jesus? If you are, then you will hear his voice calling you through this message. And if you hear his voice, repent and turn from your sins and follow him! He is ready to receive you now! Just tell him you are sorry for you sin, and ask him to forgive you and to come into your heart and to change your life. He will, just as he has done for me and many others! Only don't put it off. You need to do it now. Go ahead and pray. Then let me know by e-mail!
And Heaven will rejoice!
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