“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him,’
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’
“Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’
“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’” John 3:1-8
“It is a hard thing to live, uncertain of anything. And yet, sobs can still be heard, muffled cries of loss, such as those expressed in literature and film and almost all modern art. The alternative to disappointment with God seems to be disappointment without God.
“(The centre of me,’ said Bertrand Russell, ‘is always and eternally a terrible pain – a curious wild pain – a searching for something beyond what the world contains.’)
“I sense that sense of loss in the eyes of my friend Richard, even now. He says he does not believe in God, but he keeps bringing up the subject, protesting too loudly. For where comes this wounded sense of betrayal if no one is there to do the betraying?”*
Nicodemus as a Jew spent his entire life devoted to speaking about God. Until he met Jesus personally, he had no idea of the love of the Father! We are like that too before we abandon hope in ourselves and reach out for God’s gift of grace!
Take care with love, especially His! Your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene
PS: ANY PRAYER UPDATES TODAY?
For any of you who wonder if prayer is worth taking time for, just page back through previous entries and see the hand of our loving Father in action!
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS: For the world-wide economy and that people will remain calm and hopeful.
PRAISE & THANKSGIVING: Reg for his ministry and patience. Adrian is out of ICU, but still hospitalised. Please continue to pray for those who care for him. (Here is a text message he sent: “I am so grateful to our loving Father and the most wonderful medical team. I literally consider and feel overwhelmingly well. Thank you so much for the prayers and real love support expressed to me in these difficult days – blessings for you this day!”)
PRAY FOR THOSE WITH HEALTH CONCERNS: Michael recovering from deep vein thrombosis – a new life change for him (he’s offered to go visit Adrian for me too!). For Carlton’s recovery from surgery. Gwen, a 13-year old with serious headaches. Deb, special friend with multiple Myeloma (please see her blog at this LINK. (http://debdarley.blogspot.com/) Wisdom for doctors caring for Tim, Doris, David, Poetry and Gary, Annette’s friend Sue.
ONGOING PRAYER REQUESTS: Jack’s family is grieving his loss. That Tim secures a disability pension with his coronary pulmonary artery disease. For Jen as she copes with her friend’s passing & for the hope of her future. For Susan in Bulgaria, struggling to provide for her husband and two children.
PRAY FOR THE WORLD: (Please do not get bored with this request). Those putting their lives together after the many natural disasters, especially for the volunteers and governments in: Japan, USA and New Zealand. For Middle Eastern nations dealing with unprecedented internal conflicts. For the rest of the world to stay calm with regard to war, the economy and most of all for those who are believers, to pray and help others have peace during this time.
OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS: Help for Cris. Isaias (family safety and his mission work in Philippines); God’s grace on USA & REVIVAL for His children. For Kevin (Godly wisdom with his son), Michael.
ONGOING JOB RELATED: Paul needs work. That Tim might find satisfying work. Randy needs a new job in Canada or Australia. I need a new project to tackle for my work. Working on a new book and pursuing a new publisher in the UK for my other book!
*Disappointment With God, by Philip Yancey
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