8-21-26 Weekly Devotional Transforming Power 8-21-26
Have you heard God’s call? Or have you refused to Listen?
3 Jesus Said to Nicodemus, and indirectly us, “3Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see (Understand anything about) the kingdom of God.”4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (Symbolism of being washed by the word of God) and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”(John 3:3-8).
“1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”(Ephesians 2:1-10).
A person can refuse to believe the evidence that God has given of His existence. A person can refuse to deny the evidence of God’s existence by not turning to the light (the light that shines through spiritual darkness testifying that God exists – John 1:4-5). A person can deny the testimony of nature that is all around him (Romans 1:18-20) that God exists . A person can deny the evidence of lives that have been changed by committing themselves to following after God (Acts 4:32-37; 9:1-22). Or a person can choose to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead but that does not change the fact of these things.
But understand, if you have been convinced by any of these things it is because God has moved on your behalf. He has, or is calling you to turn to Him, and if you do, He will generate in you, new spiritual life and you will be numbered with the redeemed.
“18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:18-21).
Steve