Good morning. We are skipping a
number of verses. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty
might become rich. He had it made; and yet He gave it all up for us. It would
be like a billionaire deciding to live like a homeless person. He had
everything in heaven and nothing on earth. He was not born into a wealthy
family – He was born in a manger. And yet because of that, we became rich
beyond belief. Then Paul writes a lot of verses about giving. Now this I say,
he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully
shall also reap bountifully. You get what you give - and that multiplied. Of
course it all comes from the heart. Are you counting it down to the penny what
you should give? Then that is what you will receive. Now I'm talking about
those who could give more but don't, because they think they don't have to.
However I am not legalistic like some. Then Paul says: let each one do just as
he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves
a cheerful giver. (of course the Pastor loves any kind of giver). We have to
remember that we're not giving to the church – we are giving to God. And what
is the result? And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always
having all sufficiency, in everything, you may have an abundance for every good
deed. It's not just a little bit of grace; it's an abundance. And we have this
abundance so we can live like a billionaire, right? No, it's for every good
deed. He gives us more so that we can do more for others. Father thank You that
the reader has an abundance of everything. He/she not only has enough to take
care of his/her needs; he/she has enough to bless others.
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Good morning. While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. It doesn’t say, but I assume it is still during this time of the Passover. This man came to Jesus by night. Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do the signs that You do unless God is with him. It just said that the people believed in His name because of the signs He was doing; yet it does not say what those signs were. Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That is why unbelievers cannot tell what is of the kingdom of God and what is not – they’re not born again. Nicodemus doesn’t have a clue. How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he? Unless one is born of water and the Spirit ...
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