Lilly's blog

**When Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be "born again" to "see the Kingdom of God," he replied, "How can someone be born when they are old?...Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Professor and author Merill Tenney suggests that Nicodemus was saying, in effect, "I acknowledge that a new birth is necessary, but I am too old to change. My pattern of life is set. Physical birth is out of the question and psychological rebirth seems even less probable...Is not my case hopeless? " Jesus' reply included these words, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life". That is the offer of new life and a new beginning for anyone, young or old. Whatever our age or situation in life, with God's power, it's not too late to change. ** -----David Mccasland-----

**Life doesn't carry with it simple instructions, nor do we find all of the necessary parts in hand. We face situations with no clear idea of what we're getting into or what it will take to pull it off. We can easily find ourselves overwhelmed with these difficult moments. But we need not to face our burdens alone. God wants us to bring them to Him: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation...present your requests to God. And the peace of God...will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." We have a Savior who understands and offers His peace in the midst of our struggles. ** -----Bill Crowder----

**The title of an old song by Steve Green says it best: "People need the Lord." It's up to us to find ways to share "the good news" with them (Ps 40:9). Not everyone feels comfortable talking to strangers, and there is no one-size-fits-all method. But God will use our personalities and His light in us to spread His love.** Let's allow God to guide us to find ways to tell others about Jesus Christ, our Redeemer! --------------Dave Branon-----------

What do fish, tadpoles, and spiders have in common? They have all fallen from the sky like rain in various parts of the world. Fish fell on the Australian town of Lajamanu. Tadpoles pelted areas of central Japan on multiple occasions. Spiders showered down on the San Bernardo Mountains in Argentina. Although scientists suspect that the wind plays a part in these intriguing showers, no one can fully explain them. The prophet Ezekiel described a far more extraordinary downpour (a shower of blessing-Ezek. 34:26). Ezekiel spoke of a time when God will send blessings like rain to refresh His people. The Israelites would be safe from enemy nations. They would have enough food, be liberated from slavery, and be freed from shame. (vv. 27-29). These gifts would revive Israel's relationship with God. The people would know that God was with them, and that "they, the Israelites, are His people". (v. 30) God blesses His modern-day followers too (James 1:17). Sometimes bl

Genesis 3:9 The Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" **The two teenage boys heard the sound of their parents' car and panicked. How would they explain the mess in the house? Their father's instructions had been clear that morning before he and their mother drove out of town: no parties, no rowdy friends. But the unruly friends came and the boys allowed them to stay, despite their father's warning. Now the house was in a jumble and the boys were tipsy and disheveled. In fear they hid. That was how Adam and Eve must have felt after they had chosen to disobey God and then heard the sound of Him approaching. In fear, they hid themselves. "Where are you? " God called.  Adam responded "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid and naked; so I hid". Sin makes us feel afraid and naked, and we become vulnerable to even more temptation. God is still calling to us: "Where are you?"  Many run away, trying to hide from Him or

Acts 12:11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without doubt that the Lord sent His angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating. " Amen **Acts 12:1-6 describes a situation in which Peter's odds of survival were very low. He was in prison, "bound with two chains between two soldiers" while others guarded the door(v.6). Herod had already executed James (the brother of John and a disciple of Jesus Christ), and he had the same fate in mind for Peter. A gambler would not have put any money on Peter getting out of this alive. Yet God's plan for Peter included a miraculous deliverance that even those who were interceding for him found hard to believe. They were astonished when he showed up at their prayer meeting. God can operate outside the odds because He is all-powerful. Nothing is too hard for Him. The One who loves us and gave Himself for us is in charge of our lives. In ordin

Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem!..." - Acts 2:14 **Peter has been an unstable leader during Jesus' ministry, letting his bravado be his downfall, even denying that he knew Jesus (John 18:15-18, 25-27). But Christ had forgiven and restored him (John 21). This was a new Peter, humble but bold. His confidence came from the Holy Spirit, who made him a powerful and dynamic speaker. Have you ever felt as if you've made such bad mistakes that God could never forgive you? No matter what sins you have committed, God promises to forgive you and make you useful for His Kingdom. Allow Him to forgive you and use you effectively to serve Him. ** ------An excerpt from the New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible------

**Like a loving Father, God wants His family united. We cannot accomplish what God has for us to do if we refuse to be reconciled with one another. In His most impassioned prayer, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus pleaded with God to unite His followers: ''That they all may be one, as You, Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us"(John 17:21). No one is ever going to be perfect here on earth, so we must accept and love each other in spite of our various shortcomings. Rather than dwelling on the weaknesses of people and looking for their faults, pray for them, draw nigh to them and if possible, help them deal with their weaknesses. **

**Abraham waited patiently; it was 25 years from the time God promised him a son to the time the promise was fulfilled. Patience! Patience mainly involves trust, thus believing strongly that God will surely do what He has promised to do. Not having patience will cause you to miss/lose things of value, draw wrong conclusions and even lose your loved ones. When God is apparently 'delaying' in answering your prayers and that breakthrough is not forthcoming, Strengthen your trust in Him, believe in His Words and hold on to His promises, He will surely not let you down. In His own right time, He will make everything beautiful😊👍**

**When you feel broken, weak and bruised, God won't step on you or toss you aside as useless but He will gently pick you up and use you. And that's because nothing absolutely can separate you from His Love😊 If you were to be the only one on this earth,He would have still given up His Son to die for you because you mean so much to Him☺ #Keep calm and know that God loves you and He will always love you notwithstanding your weaknesses☺**

**To a group of  troubled disciples who feared facing life on their own Jesus said, ''I am with you always''  (Matthew 28:20). The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus said, ''I will never leave you nor forsake you'' (Hebrews 13:5-6). And the Apostle Paul assures believers that after death, ''We will be with the Lord forever'' (I Thessalonians 4:17). No matter how scary life's journey may be or how hopeless and bleak the future may look, the assurance of His never-failing presence can provide us with the courage and comfort to make it through. And best of it all, when this short life is over, we will always be with Him forever😊.**

**In the process of refining metals, the raw metal is heated with fire until it melts. The impurities separate from it and rise to the surface. They are skimmed off, leaving the metal pure. Without this heating and melting, there could be no extraction and refining of precious metals. Just as fire is needed for precious metals to be extracted and refined, so are tests and trials meant to refine us, build and strengthen our faith and make us mature and complete. Consider it pure joy because you'll be stronger and finer at the end of it all.**

**When Jesus said to get rid of your hand or your eye, He was speaking figuratively. He didn't mean literally to gouge out your eye or to cut off your hand. But if that were the only choice, it would be better to go into Heaven with one eye or hand than to go to hell with two. We sometimes tolerate sins in our life that, left unchecked, could eventually destroy us. It is better to experience the pain of removal (getting rid of a bad habit or something we treasure, for instance) than to allow the sin to bring judgment and condemnation. Examine your life for anything that causes you to sin, and take every necessary action to remove it.** ------------An excerpt from the New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible-----------

**Being imprisoned would cause many people to become bitter or to give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread the Good News of Christ. Paul realized that his current circumstances weren’t as important as what he did with them. Turning a bad situation into a good one, he reached out to the Roman soldiers who made up the palace guard and encouraged those Christians who were afraid of persecution. We may not be in prison, but there are lots of situations in which we may be discouraged (times of indecision, financial burdens, family conflict, chronic illness, church conflict, or the loss of jobs). How we act in such situations will reflect what we believe. Like Paul, look for ways to demonstrate your faith even in bad situations. Whether or not the situation changes, our faith will grow stronger. ** -----------An excerpt from the New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible--------------

**We don’t have to stay connected to our past sins. Joseph’s brothers struggled with this. Years after they sold him into slavery, they recalled their cruelty and feared revenge (Genesis 50:15) so they sent a message to Joseph begging for forgiveness (vv 16-17). They did this despite merciful actions and reassurances from their brother. Many of us remain connected to age-old offences despite mercy and forgiveness from those we may have hurt. However, true freedom comes when we confess our wrongdoing to God. He forgives it and separates us from it (Psalm 103: 12).  As one verse puts it, He throws our sins into the depths of the sea! (Micah 7:19). Because of this, we can remind ourselves that the Son has made us free, and we are free indeed!**

**One of the most dangerous aspects in flying is the landing. So pilots rely on the air-traffic controller to coordinate all the details so that every plane can land without any incident. Without the air-traffic controller, chaos would be certain. A pilot of an airliner full of passengers once radioed the tower and got no answer. It was eventually discovered that the air-traffic controller was in fact asleep, putting the pilot, passengers, and plane in great jeopardy. The good news is that the plane landed safely. Even better news is that God, the ultimate traffic controller, neither slumbers nor sleeps, He is always watching over His own and He keeps His children from all harm. Just keep calm and know that you are safe because your God is tirelessly watching over you😊** An excerpt from the Daily Bread Devotional Guide