Song: To God be the Glory
"To God Be The Glory" 150 Voice Mass Choir for Classic Hymns Ancient of Days Classic Hymns - YouTube
Prayer:
Father God, we worship you as creator. We marvel at the power which creates the galaxies, and yet has the finesse to create individual atoms. We see your glories in your creation. Through our minds we appreciate your nature; through our hearts we appreciate your love.
And yet we acknowledge that we have not always seen you in everything; on occasions we have been drawn to do things which you would not approve of. Forgive us Lord.
We ask your blessing on ourselves and on this time together.
Amen.
Song: A ruler once came
CGS 382 # A ruler once came to Jesus by night @ Un docteur vint à Jesus Christ de nuit - YouTube
Reading: John’s gospel, chapter 3, verses 1 to 17
Prayer:
Father, as a group we praise you for your goodness. We praise you that we have been watched over by your Holy Spirit and blessed by your word.
In the wider world, as the U.K. chooses a new prime minister, we pray that people in leadership might have wisdom, integrity and truth.
As electors, we acknowledge that we have not always chosen the best people for the jobs, sometimes we have chosen on the basis of short term advantages, or on the basis of incomplete information.
We pray for all places where there is suffering, especially at the present time we focus on Ukraine. Also we remember the church in neighbouring countries such as Poland. May they have the resources and will to help those who come to them in need.
We pray for our families, children and grandchildren, that they may be helped as the days go by. May any who have fallen away be brought back to your way.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Song: Love Divine, all loves excelling
Love divine all loves excelling - YouTube
Jesus had been visited by a celebrity. A religious celebrity, perhaps like being visited by a bishop, or a superintendent. He was a religious man, and a good man. It may seem strange to say this, but the two do not always go together, think of King Henry VIII, a religious man who killed two of his wives so that he could marry someone else!
Our celebrity did not cheat in business, nor did he abuse his family. He had come to Jesus for insight. Perhaps we know someone like that, who seek out Jesus when they want something? Perhaps we know what it is like to do that?
Jesus knew what Nicodemus needed, and gave him a surprise. “You must be born again” “What do you mean?” said Nicodemus, “I can’t become a baby again!”
When Jesus says! “Must” he is saying that this is not something that we initiate ourselves, it is something from outside. We must be born on God’s Spirit. It is like the wind, he says, we can see the trees move, but we can’t see the wind. We can only see its effects.
Looking at history, when the people of Israel were travelling from Egypt to Palestine, they had been on the road for years. The people had begun to grumble. They blamed God for their situation. “If this is God, we don’t think much of him!” Perhaps you have heard people say something like this today?
God sent a plague of snakes. Moses prayed, to get rid of this. He was led to set up a bronze snake, which, if them people looked at it, they were cured.
Nicodemus had not understood this. The snake bite is analogous to sin. We tend to think that not all sins are alike, but consider this; would we allow someone in court for theft to use a defence of “Well, be thankful that I am not a murderer!”
We all suffer from the symptoms of “snakebite”, we are all sinners. We all Deserve
to die, to not go to heaven, because none of us can say that we have been perfect.
In a modern context, we can be cured by looking at Jesus on the cross and saying “I believe that he died for me so that my sins can be forgiven.”
We don’t have to persuade God that we are good. Jesus died for everyone. To make us new.
Those who try it, say that it works; those who say it doesn’t work, haven’t tried it!
There is plenty of evidence for it working if you look for it in people. As we get older, we often have doubts. There is nothing wrong in this, but we need a full assurance of faith. We thank God for John’s gospel, chapter 3, verse 16, “
Song: Blessed Assurance.
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