New Birth — Day 3
Believe It
John 3:3-5: “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.4 How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ 5 Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.’”
Live It
We can learn several lessons from today’s text.
1. The new birth is an act of God. Being born again is an act of God he operates in us as we submit ourselves to His will, power, and love. The greatest struggle for each of us is to reach the point where we admit that we cannot change, and we allow God to control our life.
2. The new birth brings positive results. Today’s text mentions two of those positive results. It says that we “can see” and “can enter,” both are realities you begin to experience the moment you say yes to Jesus. The Kingdom of God is not a reference only to heaven, but to a change in our lives here on earth. Our values change, as do our attitudes and desires. But nothing good happens until a person is born again. That’s why the new birth is so important.
3. The new birth cannot be faked. A woman cannot be “half pregnant” or “almost pregnant.” You either are or you are not. So it is with the new birth—you can’t have it half-way. Either God is in control, or He has no control. I once heard a pastor say, “If God is your copilot, you’re in the wrong seat.” When God does His transforming work, it’s permanent and visible to others, especially those close to you.
Share It
• Turn your life over to God and give Him complete control.
• Make a special effort today to treat your family well.
My Prayer Today: My spiritual life.
– Ask God to help you pray every day, study His Word, and share it with others.
My Thoughts: ________________________________________________________________________
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Grace — Day 2
Believe It
Ephesians 2:8: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—”
Live It
We can learn three lessons from today’s text.
1. Grace is a marvelous gift. We don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it, and God gives it to us for free. Grace is the greatest difference between Christianity and other religions. Something for nothing? Hard to believe, but true!
2. Good gifts are appreciated. Anyone who has ever received a gift knows that the more valuable the gift, usually the more we appreciate it. One of the ways we show our appreciation for God’s grace is through our faithfulness to Him. Our obedience does not make us worthy of grace, but it does show the value we place on the grace of Jesus.
3. Good gifts are shared. Following the same line of thinking, it’s almost impossible to get a person to stop talking about a valuable gift he or she has received. You don’t have to coax, bribe, or pressure that person to share the experience with others. Likewise, all who have experienced the grace of Jesus will share the good news often and enthusiastically.
Share It
Your assignment is to pray for the same three people you listed yesterday. Then select one of the three and reach out to them in some way, for example:
• Call or text them and pray with them.
• Write them a note, through email, Facebook, regular mail.
• Take them a CD or a magazine with positive messages.
My Prayer Today: For those who are already studying the Bible.
– Pray that they will attend the series when invited to do so.
– Pray that they will continue to study, and finish the lessons.
My Thoughts: ________________________________________________________________________
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Power — Day 1
Believe It
Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Live It
We can learn three lessons from today’s text.
1. The Holy Spirit gives us power. Would you like to experience God’s power? Do you crave it? Desire it? Then seek an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. Why not take some time to pray right now for the God to fill you with His Spirit?
2. His power helps us be effective witnesses. A person that has the Holy Spirit cannot remain silent. As the purpose of a car is to transport, of the hammer to pound nails, and of a cup of water to sate a person’s thirst, the Holy Spirit’s purpose in your life is to help you share Jesus with others. Who can you think of, right now, who needs Jesus?
3. Witnessing should have both local and global purposes. Jesus sent His disciples to share the good news in three regions:
• In Jerusalem – Jerusalem symbolizes those closest to you, geographically, culturally, and linguistically.
• In Judea – Judea symbolizes your acquaintances — your casual friends.
• In Samaria – Samaria symbolizes those hostile to the gospel.
Share It
Today begins the 40 Days of Prayer and Witnessing. Your first assignment is to identify three persons in your city you will reach out to for the next 40 days. These persons should be:
• One in Jerusalem – someone very close to you (a friend or relative).
• One in Judea – someone like yourself (an acquaintance).
• One in Samaria –someone radically different from you (a stranger).
Write their names here: _______________________________________________________________
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During these 40 days, we’ll pray for our local evangelism, for specific aspect of it.
My Prayer Today: For the evangelist.
– Pray for his messages, health, and for clarity of mind as he prepares the messages.
My Thoughts: ________________________________________________________________________
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This weekend at TAF…
This weekend at TAF…
This weekend at TAF…
We hope you can join us tomorrow.
This weekend at TAF…
I hate Ty Gibson
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by Roger Hernandez
 Actually I used to. Not hate, hate. Just no interest in… You are probably wondering why that is. Is it because his good looks? His sharp wit or his inspirational quotes on twitter? Why do you hate Ty Gibson? Aren’t you like a pastor or something? Let me share a story. Several years ago I met Ty Gibson for the first time. All I knew about him is what other people said about him.
*He leads an “independent ministry”. (that was used pejoratively)
*He does not support the work. *We have some concerns about him. Then we had a meal together. We sat around a table and started a conversation. That day I also met the Rosario brothers who were involved with GYC en Espanol. I knew no one in those circles either. Hispanic churches (as many ethnic churches) are usually on their own vibe without much interaction with the wider Adventist body.
A strange thing happened. The longer the conversation went on I found myself saying: “these guys are not crazy at all. In fact they are normal people!”
Fast forward several years. Ty has become a good friend. I have grown from suspicion to tolerance to acceptance to connection. How does that happen? Here are some lessons learned:
1. Let’s not pretend.
We are a fragmented body. There are websites and battle lines drawn. There are allegiances and dismissive comments. Attacks and dismissal of the “other”. The first step is not to play nice but to be loving. That includes realizing that you are not the sole possessor of ultimate truth in every single item. What we have now is the belief that being together is the same as unity. I made a decision to get to know Ty. Warning: it usually gets worst before it gets better, but it’s worth it. 2. Let’s get to know people, not caricatures of people.
Are you GYC or the TOP? For or against WO? Drums or organ? Vegan or super vegan? The list is interminable. For example here is a comment of a pastor I know. “Only in the crazy, wonderfully wacky world of Adventism can a Pro-life, 2nd amendment supporter republican be called a liberal because he preaches from the NIV.” So true. I am so happy to be friends with people who are not like me. That has given me a deeper perspective on life. If I have a God that always agrees with my positions what I really have is a God made in my image. That’s called idolatry. 3. You can have your preferences, but love trumps all.
I have a family member who loves Trump. In his mind Trump has brought prayer and God back to the White House and America. The best president ever! I’m not a big fan. One thing I noticed. I have my political preferences but I love my family member more than I do the donkey or the elephant. Someone said that when you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Instead of living my life constantly trying to convince people how dumb they are and hammering every position into people I want to seek a relationship. A deep relationship can change a heart with greater effectiveness. I was just thinking the other day. What a great friendship I would have missed out on if I had never taken the time to get to know someone! I love Ty.
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This weekend at TAF…
Learning to Give Deliberately
Even long before Jesus began his ministry on Earth, God’s people struggled to share their blessings with each other. It was one reason why God instituted societal structures like the Year of Jubilee, a widespread reset of land ownership, wealth, and social status. In Leviticus 25:35 God says, “If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit.”
Living near Charleston, South Carolina, I have the opportunity to regularly run into people asking for money. Growing up in church, these situations were talked about fairly regularly. What do we do when we see someone with a cardboard sign at the intersection, or when we’re approached for money at the gas station? The easiest thing at this point is just to keep your window up. Tell them you don’t carry cash. That’s what I saw modeled by many adults around me as I was growing up and, sadly, what I’ve done myself many times. I’ve ignored the less fortunate. I’ve rationalized my own selfishness by thinking “they probably don’t really need this” or “they’re probably just going to buy alcohol.” But here’s a serious question: were poor people in Jesus’ time different than they are today? I doubt it. If that’s the case, how do we take Jesus’ words in Luke 6:30? He says, “Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” No qualifiers. Not “give to everyone without a drinking problem” or “give to those who have a job.”
I think there’s more to this than just sharing our money, though. We are called to help people financially when they ask, that’s hard to get away from biblically even if we try. It’s God’s money, anyway, right? But beyond that we’re called to interact with people like Jesus would. Jesus didn’t just tolerate the poor, he loved them. He listened to their stories and provided for their specific needs. So what if we really don’t have any cash on us? Is there anything else we can do? Usually there is. Even something as simple as stopping to talk with someone for a while about there life can make a big difference. I’ve learned all kinds of things about people this way, and the stories of how people found themselves asking for help are pretty incredible. If you’re on your way to lunch, planning to pay with your credit card, why not invite them to eat with you? Better yet, plan ahead. Hide a $20 in that back pocket of your wallet, pray over it, and ask for God to send you someone who needs it. What are we so afraid of, anyway? The Christian way isn’t always easy. In fact, we know from history that it can be downright dangerous. But if we aren’t willing to follow Jesus’ example, what do our beliefs matter anyway?