It's Free!

Jesus' reply to a Jewish leader makes clear that following human rules and rituals is not sufficient to enter the Kingdom of God. To enter the Kingdom of God, a person must be "born again" by the Holy Spirit. Being "born again" means to believe in him and receive the new life he offers. The new life that Jesus offered, then, is the same new life he offers you, now. And, it remains a free gift from God, not earned. Yours for simply asking.

A Prayer begins . . .

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for those who want to become followers of you. Help them see that they do not need to earn your favor, but only ask to be born again.

A beautifully constructed paragraph finshes just right, like the triumphal placement of the final piece in a puzzle. Our authors know the feeling! They present a pleasing plethora of finished puzzles.

Two selected book quotations begin . . .

Enemy Prayer List

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's, The Cost of Discipleship ,Touchstone, 1995, p. 148.    SoAmazing.com

Category: Theology
Keywords: love, enemy, hatred, enmity, follower of Jesus, disciples, bless, pray, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Touchstone, Bonhoeffer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy's hatred, the greater his need of love. Be his enmity political or religious, he has nothing to expect from a follower of Jesus but unqualified love. In such love there is no inner discord between private person and official capacity. In both we are disciples of Christ, or we are not Christians at all. Am I asked how this love is to behave? Jesus gives the answer: bless, do good, and pray for your enemies without reserve and without respect of persons."

SoAmazing Review: The Cost of Discipleship suggests the remarkable notion that an enemy is to be actively loved and served "...with utter sincerity." My mind is racing as I think about this in practical terms.

Buy The Cost of Discipleship Now!   Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.

A Spit Second

Chris Fabry, At The Corner of Mundane and Grace, Finding Glimpses of Glory in Ordinary Days, Waterbrook Press, 1999, pp. 125, 126. SoAmazing.com

Category: Christian Humor
Keywords: sibling, baby, infant, doll, Bible, God, Father, Pepto-Bismol Waterbrook Press, Fabry, Chris Fabry

"Sibling wanted to hold the baby when Kaitlyn was only a few weeks old. Kaitlyn was dressed in a pink infant dress, and what little hair she had was coiffured with a matching ribbon. She was adorable. This no doubt added to Sibling's desire of holding such a living doll.

Sibling lovingly cradled little Kaitlyn in her arms and said sweet things to her. I turned my back for a second. The next thing I knew, little Kaitlyn was bouncing on the floor. Thank God for thick carpeting and Stainmaster. I picked her up and calmed her, then looked as her astonished Sibling.

'What happened?' I said.

'She spit on me!' Sibling said, as if this kind of thing never happens.

I helped Sibling clear her own pretty dress and said, 'It's important to remember: You gotta hold the baby even when she spits.'

She frowned and went into another room, leaving me to ponder my own lesson. Life looks so wonderful from our limited viewpoint. When we're young, it's fluffy and pink and we can't imagine it will taste like anything other than cotton candy. We dream of 'what could be,' forget 'what might be,' and take hold with both hands. On the way to 'what will be,' 'what is' starts tasting less like candy and more like Pepto-Bismol. Then life spits up. As it grows older, life spits up and kicks us in the teeth, and we're occasionally tempted just to drop the whole thing.

But the more life you live, the more you love it, and even when it's bad you learn to not let go. The spitting and kicking make the other parts that much more enjoyable.

If this is your life, remember that spitting lasts for a season, but joy comes in the morning. That's sort of in the Bible. And if you ever drop the baby, pick it up and hang on. There's a Father who loves you in spite of it all."

SoAmazing Review: I was first introduced to Chris Fabry some years ago in his role as one of the hosts of the morning show on WMBI, Moody Radio in Chicago. I greatly enjoyed listening to him then. Just as much as I enjoy reading him now.

Buy At The Corner of Mundane and Grace Now!   Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.

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