Light To My Path

HOW CAN THIS BE? 06 JULY John 3:9-19

People say ‘How can this be?’ when there is doubt or denial. The things that brought this question and the important people i.e. Jesus and Nicodemus together make us easily remove denial (which is refusing a fact or the truth). This means that we are left with doubt (a state of not being sure), in the mind of Nicodemus. Nicodemus asked this question and Jesus Christ was to answer it! Why this question was asked was that Jesus had told Nicodemus about being born again; you find it in the earlier part of this chapter.

To answer this question, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus ‘How’ this worked out and added ‘Why’ – which Nicodemus did not ask! Jesus told Nicodemus that being a teacher of the Law of Moses he ought to know these things which were earthly (physical) things. If he had doubt on a matter similar to physical birth, how would he understand heavenly (spiritual) things?

How: Being born again is similar to a baby’s natural birth.

 A mother goes through severe pain for a baby to be born; Jesus Christ went through very severe pain and insults for human beings to become born again.

 Parents of the newborn and other people, including doctors, are happy at the birth of a baby. In the same way, there is great joy in heaven every time a person is born again – Luke 15:10.

 A baby in its mother’s womb has to be born at the right time OR the baby may die. If the baby stays inside the womb much longer, it will surely die; children and adults must be born again so that they will not suffer eternal death.

 A baby in the womb is very comfortable and does not know that there is better life and the chance of growing big outside the womb after it is born into the world; most people, including children, who live their lives without Christ, believe they are enjoying so much. They do not know that after being born again there is a wonderful life for them. In this new life they will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Physical (natural) birth is very similar to spiritual birth (new birth).

Why: Jesus Christ then answered the unasked question, ‘Why?’ He gave this answer in verse 16: ‘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.’ This is the major reason why you and everybody need to be born again i.e. God’s love for you, me and everybody. What will you do about what Jesus said?

THE LITTLE FOXES 11 NOVEMBER

Song of Solomon 2:15

What the Bible says about Foxes is not very nice. You can check all the passages. We find the word ‘Fox’ or ‘Foxes’ in both the Old Testament and New Testament. In Ezekiel 13:4 we read that ‘Your prophets, Israel, as like jackals among ruins.’ In this verse the prophets did not help the people but decided to make people happy by telling them lies. These prophets were deceiving the people in the same way Foxes or jackals deceive their prey; these animals hide and can suddenly attack and kill smaller animals that are not careful and watchful. In Luke 13:32 Jesus called King Herod a Fox when He said, ‘Go and tell that fox, “I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.”’ Herod wanted to kill Jesus as we read in verse 31. All the people that the Bible calls Foxes were not nice people; they were harmful people.

Foxes are smaller types of animals in the group of wolves, jackals and domestic dogs. The female is called vixen. Foxes are wild by their nature and can be in groups called earth, skulk or leash; they can also move around singly. Some Foxes have been tamed like dogs. Foxes are warm-blooded animals that are able to eat anything; they do so if they cannot find their best food. Foxes love to eat insects, small birds, rabbits, hens, eggs, plants, etc. Since plants do not move and so cannot escape, foxes are very harmful to them. Grapes in a vineyard are a lovely food to foxes.

In Isaiah 5:7 The Bible calls Israel ‘the vineyard of the LORD of hosts.’ A vineyard is a farm where grapes are grown for making wine. In verse 2 God takes good care of this vineyard (Israel) and in verse 4 God asks, ‘What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?’ In John 15:5 Jesus said, ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;…’ When Christians love and stay in (or with) Jesus they can grow and multiply. So we can see that God is talking about His connection with His people – Israel and Christians.

What are these little Foxes that King Solomon and his beloved talked about? The little Foxes ate up even the young grapes in the vineyard. Remember that foxes can hide in their holes in the daytime and come out at night when the vineyard owner is asleep! The owner does good work in the daytime while the little foxes cause damage at night! These foxes are not even the big ones but they are harmful, all the same.

Christian children must be very careful with their lives and NOT ALLOW what people call tiny sins, bad behavior and actions to creep bit-by-bit into their lives while they are spiritually ‘asleep.’ Spiritual ‘sleep’ does not let you know what is happening in your spiritual life! It is these cunning, crafty, harmless-looking sins that can destroy what God is doing in the lives of God’s people.