Secret Interview

He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5, R.S.V.
Nicodemus held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation. He was highly educated, and possessed talents of no ordinary character, and he was an honored member of the national council. With others, he had been stirred by the teaching of Jesus….
He greatly desired an interview with Jesus, but shrank from seeking Him openly…. He waited until the city was hushed in slumber, and then sought Him….
“Rabbi,” he said, “we know that thou art a teacher come from God.” … His words were designed to express and to invite confidence; but they really expressed unbelief. He did not acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah, but only a teacher sent from God….
Jesus bent His eyes upon the speaker, as if reading his very soul. In His infinite wisdom He saw before Him a seeker after truth…. He came directly to the point, saying solemnly, yet kindly, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, margin)….
Nicodemus had heard the preaching of John the Baptist concerning repentance and baptism…. Yet the heart-searching message of the Baptist had failed to work in him conviction of sin. He was a strict Pharisee, and prided himself on his good works. He was widely esteemed for his benevolence and his liberality in sustaining the temple service, and he felt secure of the favor of God. He was startled at the thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state….
By virtue of his birth as an Israelite he regarded himself as sure of a place in the kingdom of God. He felt that he needed no change. Hence his surprise at the Saviour’s words. He was irritated by their close application to himself. The pride of the Pharisee was struggling against the honest desire of the seeker after truth.
Conflict and Courage p. 291
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—–Please continue to pray for Ron as he recovers from rotator cuff surgery. Rose
—–Please pray for Traci, a young mom with a 1 year old little boy. She really needs your prayers because of complications post surgery. She got an infection which has caused a very serious situation. Joyce
—–Please keep my son Tyler in your prayers. He has not been feeling very well. It seems to be his allergies and sinuses. Valerie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
Yesterday, I read about a terrible crime here in our city. A man killed a woman and then burned down the house around her to cover up the crime. He then kidnapped her three children. He was arrested less than four miles from where we live. That is a little too close for comfort. How cruel this old world is. How cruel is the heart of mankind without the Spirit
of God dwelling there. It’s enough to make one want to stay in the safety of their own home. Yet, even at home, we are not completely safe. How often we hear of people breaking the door down and torturing and killing their victims just for the sport of it.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, how little they realized the results of their disobedience. It was such a little test. It was such a small act of disobedience, but it was a pivotal moment in their experience. From that small act, came a great change.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve had good fellowship with their Creator. At the time for evening worship, He came to this small planet in His great universe and conversed with them. But after their disobedience, hearing Him walking in the garden brought a new feeling to their heart. It was a feeling of fear and dread. God’s Word tells us, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” Gen 3:8-11
God knew what had happened, but He wanted them to acknowledge their transgression. Instead, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent, and, ultimately they were blaming God. “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou
go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.” vs 12-14
How good and kind our Loving Father is! Before He told His erring children of the consequences of their sin, He gave them the promise of a Saviour! “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” vs 3:15
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life, Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. vs 16-19
From that point, death began. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” 21,22
From that one little sin, the close communion they had had with God became a more distant one. “Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” From that moment the world began to deteriorate and mankind became “worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 2 Tim 3:13
But God does not leave us in such a pitiful state. He has provided a Way. Jesus is the “way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 Let us thank Him for sacrificing His own life, so that we may have a restored relationship with our Creator. Let us serve Him from a heart full of gratitude and love. Let us place our hand in His and let Him lead us to His Heavenly Kingdom is my prayer.
Rose