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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We have been reading John Chapter 2 where we have seen the significance of Jesus Christ transforming water into wine, and then going up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, when he found the Temple to be like a market place.
Jesus took time to make a whip to clean up the Temple. Jesus was concerned about what was going on in the place of Worship, and Jesus continues to be concerned about what is going on in the place of Worship, and how we behave and sing and praise and pray and listen to His Word when we, as part of the Church, come together.
Now, Jesus was also performing various miracles while in Jerusalem, and many believed in Jesus when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus would not believe in them, nor commit Himself to them.
Many were aware that this man was different. They had never seen anything like this before, and they came to have a degree of trust in Christ, when they saw the signs and wonders, but Jesus would not trust them.
Jesus does not give Himself to anyone. Jesus will not share everything with just anyone who claims to believe.
Jesus Christ “knew all men”. Jesus could see right through people. Jesus knows when faith is deep and real, and when it is shallow and superficial.
What does He see when He looks at our lives? Does He see faith that is real and deep – desiring to respond in sheer obedience – longing to display loyalty – seeking to serve?
He knew that with some of these people it was shallow and superficial and fleeting – a kind of here today and gone tomorrow.
When Jesus looks at a man and when He moves around and among men, and when He sees a faith that is real and deep and which has that desire and longing to grow and mature, Jesus will be prepared to share and reveal many things to that man.
There was a man in Jerusalem who wanted to go further and he is called Nicodemus. He wanted what Jesus could give. He had a thirst for that which was spiritually real. He had seen the miracles, and now he was hungry for the Word of God. He was ready for something more – for something deeper.
As you read these studies are you ready to deeper with God? To a very real degree, we can choose how close we are to God and how intimate our fellowship becomes with Jesus. This has very little to do with emotion. It is a decision we make.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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