Good Sunday morning. So
Joseph awakens and does what the angel told him to do. Jesus is born in
Bethlehem and the magi come looking for him. Herod tries to trick them into
finding out where the baby is and telling him. The star that they had seen in
the east shows them the way. They come into the house and see the baby with His
mother. (I'm sure you've heard this before – they did not come to the manger.)
They give Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. You may or may not know
that myrrh is part of the holy anointing oil. Frankincense is part of the holy
incense burned to the Lord. God warned them in a dream to go home a different
way. Joseph has another dream with an angel telling him to take Jesus and His
mother and go to Egypt. He does so immediately. Herod kills the babies. Joseph
has another dream and the angel tells him to go home. Joseph hears that Herod’s
son is ruling in Judea and is afraid. God warns him in a dream – and he goes to
Nazareth. John the Baptist comes preaching “repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.” He scolds the Pharisees and Sadducees. He tells them that he
baptizes with water for repentance, but there is One coming who will baptize
with the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus comes to be baptized and John says that he
needs to be baptized by Jesus. John recognizes that what he has is not all that
there is and needs to be baptized by Jesus. Unfortunately John was still under
the old covenant. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is part of the new covenant.
Jesus says in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. When
Jesus comes out of the water the Spirit of God descends like a dove upon Him,
and a voice from heaven says “this is My beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased”. Thus we have the Trinity all at the same time. Father thank You that
You sent Your Son for us. You had the perfect plan. Help today to be a great
one for the reader. Help him/her to know that You love him/her and will meet
all of his/her needs.
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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