Thank you LORD that You came to earth, from heaven, and that You have revealed to us the great plan of redemption. Thank you LORD that we can have that eternal life, by believing and trusting in you, as our personal Savior and Lord. Thank you for the assurance that we have that eternal life, as soon as we received You into our heart. Thank you for the living hope that we have in You. Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the hope found in Your Son.
Text: John 3: 12- 18 NIV
12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
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13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Nothing could pull Aakash out of his dark depression. Severely injured in a truck accident, he was taken to a missionary hospital in Southwest Asia. Eight operations repaired his broken bones, but he couldn’t eat. Depression set in. His family depended on him to provide, which he couldn’t do, so his world grew darker.
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One day a visitor read to Aakash from the gospel of John in his language and prayed for him. Touched by the hope of God’s free gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus, he placed his faith in Him. His depression soon left. When he returned home, he was afraid at first to mention his newfound faith. Finally, though, he told his family about Jesus—and six of them trusted Him as well!
John’s gospel is a beacon of light in a world of darkness. In it we read that “whoever believes in [Jesus] shall not perish but have eternal life” (3:16). We discover that “whoever hears [Jesus’] word and believes [God] has eternal life” (5:24). And we hear Jesus say, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (6:35). Indeed, “whoever lives by the truth comes into the light” (3:21).
The troubles we face may be great, but Jesus is greater. He came to give us “life . . . to the full” (10:10). Like Aakash, may you place your faith in Jesus—the hope of the world and the light for all humanity. By Dave Branon
COMMENTARY: John 3:16, a well-known verse, is a small part of a big conversation. A Pharisee named Nicodemus sought out Jesus under the cover of night with some questions. When Jesus quickly turned the conversation to the kingdom of God (v. 3) Nicodemus struggled to keep up.
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Jesus told the Pharisee that only believing in Him—the Son of God—would provide admittance into the coming kingdom. And that belief would remake all those who believed (v. 5; see Genesis 1:1–3). But then Christ subtly chided Nicodemus. He pointed out that those who truly wish to do what’s right will do it in the light of day—not the cover of night. If Nicodemus (or anyone) wants to truly believe in Jesus, it requires obedience in the full light of day (John 3:19–21).
by Jed Ostoich
FROM ME: Thank you LORD that You came to earth, from heaven, and that You have revealed to us the great plan of redemption. Thank you LORD that we can have that eternal life, by believing and trusting in you, as our personal Savior and Lord. Thank you for the assurance that we have that eternal life, as soon as we received You into our heart. Thank you for the living hope that we have in You. Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the hope found in Your Son.
Posted October 19, 2023
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