Thought for June 29

 History:

• 1613: Shakespeare's Globe Theater burns
• 1906: Mesa Verde National Park Created---the first National Park "to preserve the works of man." 
• 1938: Olympic National Park created. Visit the Hoh rain forest or the beautiful north coast. Sit on Hurricane Ridge and see Mounts Baker and Rainier and Vancouver to the North. 
• 1966: First bombing of Hanoi
• 1972: Supreme Court holds the death penalty as administered then cruel and unusual punishment. Reverses itself 4 years later and Gary Gilmore is executed.
• 2009: Bernie Madoff sentenced to 150 years.
• Born: William Mayo [Mayo Clinic], Nelson Eddy, Leroy Anderson [Syncopated Clock, Sleigh Ride], Little Eva [The Locomotion], Gary Busey, Fred Gandy [Gopher]
• Died: Henry Clay, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Jan Paderewski [pianist and first Premier of Poland], Jayne Mansfield, Lana Turner, Rosemary Clooney, Katherine Hepburn, Carl Reiner, Donald Rumsfeld

Thought: 

Continuing my reading about Nicodemus in John 3. 

Check out John's assessment of Jesus in 3:2--

• He calls Jesus Rabbi or Teacher. And many people still do this. They see the life Jesus led and the truths He taught and conclude that this was a great teacher, a gifted speaker. If I am not careful, I can slip into this thinking too. For there is a big difference between a teacher and a Master, Redeemer, Savior, Lord. Larry, be really careful that you don't treat Jesus as just a teacher who had some really good ideas.
• He says that Jesus came from God as a teacher. This reminds me that being half right about Jesus does not bring salvation. Yes, Jesus is from God, but He is not just a teacher like leaders of so many other false religions. He is not just a really wise man, a really smart person. He was not sent just to teach us--He came to save us. Nicodemus recognized that Jesus was sent from God, but he thought we just need more education, more learning, maybe more teaching about these laws I am devoting my life to obeying. Larry, be careful not to treat Jesus like someone who is going to give you advice on how to be a better person, how to self-help. 
• Nicodemus recognizes that God is with Jesus. Jesus is working with God's power. But Jesus is not with God, He is God. 

Look at how Jesus responds: Nicodemus, you are looking for God's kingdom, but you cannot see it unless you are born again. The King in the Kingdom of God is standing right in front of Nicodemus, but he cannot see. For today, what I understand is that without faith, I have trouble seeing God's kingdom. I have to see through spiritual eyes to see how God is moving and working. When I look with my physical eyes, I miss God's glory, God's power. God's purpose and plan. This is confirmed in other passages:

• Daniel sees a vision in Daniel 10, but others do not see and run away in dread.
• When Paul is converted, the others hear a voice but do not see what Saul sees.
• In Mark 4 it says people see but do not perceive.
• Jesus spoke in parables so that some who did not believe could not see and understand. 

And we know this to be true, for we will see God move and yet non-believers see fate, or happenstance, or accident. Our prayer today echoes an old hymn, "open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus." And the more faith we have, the more we see. And the more we trust, the more we see. so we pray for more faith so we can see clearly the Kingdom of God.

Blessings

Larry