THROW AWAYS?

SCRIPTURE

Bartholomew, Apostle
John 1:43-51 (NRSV)

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

DEVOTION

Ah! It gives me great pleasure to know that God KNOWS me intimately and still invites me to follow him.

I know that it is not because I am so perfect, godly, or holy. Just like everybody else, I am a sinner, saved only by God's Amazing Grace and Unconditional Love.

So, what is it about us? Why won't God just let us go? Why doesn't God give up on us? Throw us away? Strike us with lightening?

I was asked these questions yesterday by a woman in great distress. My answer was simple. "You're a mother. When your child messes up do you want to kill him? Throw him away? Abandon him?"

She looked mortified as she answered indignantly, "OF COURSE NOT!"

I answered, "Neither does God..."

She looked positively shocked. I think that we forget that God is our Heavenly Parent and loves us more than our earthly mother and father combined.

God is not going to leave or forsake us just because we've messed up! God has elected to stick closer than any brother and when that wasn't enough, God ransomed us with His own blood by dying on the cross to make atonement for our sin and gift us with eternal life!

I can't even begin to imagine why everyone doesn't love and serve a God like this! This is none like our God!

Despite the fact that we screw up time and time again, God still says, "I know you...follow me."

It is the greatest honor of my life (and yours) that God has use for me and that I am invited to be an ambassador of the Kingdom of Love and an emissary of the good news message that, "Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ shall come again!"

Be not dismayed. Throw yourself into the net of God's Amazing Grace and trust that Love will catch you every time.

You are not junk. You are not trash. You don't need to be thrown away. All you need is to accept the free gift of God's love and grace toward you and to put all of your hope in God.

If you could just see yourself through the eyes of God, you would realize how beautiful and wonderful you truly are!

Be at peace friend. GOD LOVES YOU.


Let us pray: God, please forgive me for thinking that you made a mistake when you made me. I know that you love me more than I could dare to hope, dream, or imagine. Please help me to trust your love and grace toward me. Please help me to believe that you are daily forgiving my sin when I ask. And please help me to know--and believe--that Jesus' death upon the cross was more than enough to atone for my sin and gift me with eternal life. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta

NOT SO GLORIOUS...

SCRIPTURE

John 1:14-18 (NRSV)

We have seen the glory of God

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.


NOT SO GLORIOUS

We have seen your glory
but life
It isn't glorious
Day after day we labor
making mess after mess
because we fail to truly embrace
Grace and Truth.

Living is hard
Dying is harder
And I don't feel so graceful
just now...

But, you promised me
grace upon grace
Please make Jesus known to me
in my final hours
help me to believe
that my living has not
been in vain
Forgive my sins
Known and unknown and
Please
Grant me your peace
I want to come home now
I need to behold your glory
Full of Grace
Full of Truth
Jesus
I need Thee now.

INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaL

ANYTHING GOOD?

SCRIPTURE

John 1:43-51 (NRSV)

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

DEVOTION--Today is Saturday Psalmody; the mediation is offered as a psalm from my heart! If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)

ANYTHING GOOD?

Can anything good come from that place?

Anyone decent or full of grace?

I’ve heard about people who hail from there

They’re good for nothing, don’t have a prayer

Why would you spend time with him?

Why would you go out on that limb?

Don’t you know he’ll never amount

To anything you’ll want to brag about?

Run right now while you have the chance

Get away from there, without a backward glance

No I say

I’ve already prayed

Come and see

him who makes us free

I’ve truly found, the one I need

Once you meet, you will agree.

THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @

http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

CHILD(REN) of GOD

SCRIPTURE

John 1:1-14 (NRSV)
The Word became flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.


DEVOTION

Hallelujah! CHRISTmas is here! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Isn’t it wonderful that on today we are reminded through scripture that Jesus is, was, and will ever be? In my tradition, we call him Alpha and Omega; he who has no beginning and no end.

What Amazing Love that our God wrapped himself up in flesh and came into our world, giving us “the power to become the children of God!”

In Jesus, we see the glory of God, who is full of grace and truth! Hallelujah!

Today, we are invited to be like John. Scripture says that “he came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.”

As we celebrate CHRISTmas, let us take this natural opportunity to share the good news with those who need to hear it! Let us remind our family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors that Jesus saves and he saves to the utmost! Let us keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas, as we lift up the Name of Jesus everywhere that we go!

Today is a wonderful day to be a good news ambassador and a story teller.

Let us share the good news that God loves us all so much that LOVE was born one CHRISTmas morn. Let us testify that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. Let us remind our loved ones that Jesus did not stay dead, but was resurrected, just as he promised! And let us share our blessed assurance that Jesus will one day come again in power and in glory!

OH YES!

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE & GOOD WILL TO ALL WHOM GOD FAVORS!


Merry CHRISTmas, my friends!


Let us pray:

Happy Birthday Jesus! Thank you for coming into our world as a humble baby. Thank you for growing into a man who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and raised the dead. Thank you for dying on the cross to save me from my sin and gift me with eternal life. Thank you that you did not stay dead, but got up on the third day, just like you said that you would. I love you so much! Thank you for making me your child! Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. Today, I am putting all of my hope in you and I will share this good news with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.



SPECIAL NOTE

If you just prayed this prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!

I would be honored if you would let me know about your decision today by clicking "YES" in the poll located in the upper-right hand corner of the good news blog in answer to the question, "Did God save you today?"

Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!

We Have Found The Messiah!

SCRIPTURE

Andrew, Apostle
John 1:35-42 (NRSV)

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

DEVOTION

In today’s scripture reading we get to "eavesdrop" as two of John the Baptist’s disciples make the decision to follow Jesus!

It warms my heart to see how Jesus receives them with such grace asking, “What are you looking for?”

Isn’t this a question full of the wisdom of the ages? Jesus knew that in the absence of a relationship with him, we are all seeking, but not finding that which we need.

For example many of my non-Christian friends are seeking joy, where none is to be found, peace in the midst of conflict, and love in all the wrong places.

Blaise Pascal once said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Hallelujah; I am so glad that Jesus has filled up that God-sized hole in my heart!

During this Advent Season, as we celebrate the first coming of Jesus and look forward to his second coming, let us make up our minds to take on the evangelical spirit of the Apostle Andrew.

I believe that Andrew is a good example for all Christians because his immediate response to an encounter Jesus was to share the good news with those whom he loved.

What is it that you will go and tell your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors about Jesus during this Christmas season?

Andrew said, “We have found the Messiah!” How about you?

Won’t you pray with me?

Holy One, thank you that my relationship with you makes all the difference in my life. You are my love, joy, peace, and hope for the future. I love you so much and I want to share our love with others. Thank you for allowing Love to give Jesus to die on the cross to save me from my sin and gift me with eternal life. Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can share this good news with everyone I meet. I am waiting with great hope, expectation, and repentance for you to come again. Come, Lord Jesus, Come! I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

ANNOUNCEMENT

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