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        BE BORN AGAIN.’ JOHN 3:7 NIV The Bible says 130 years after Adam first sinned, he was still fathering children ‘in his own likeness’ (Genesis 5:3 NIV). And as Adam’s descendants we have all been born with the nature of fallen man. Sometimes people say, ‘He’s just like his old man.’ Or we say, ‘My dad was an angry man, now I’ve got his temper!’ ‘My dad couldn’t stay with my mom, now I’m going through a divorce.’ ‘My dad was an alcoholic, now look at my drinking and drugging!’ ‘My dad was a workaholic, now I put in14 hours a day.’ ‘My dad wasn’t affectionate with us, now I don’t know how to be loving toward my children.’ History repeats itself over and over through our fallen nature. Here’s a fascinating example: ‘Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her’ (Genesis 20:2 NIV). Abraham was willing to sacrifice Sarah to save his own neck. What would you have done? Before you answer, notice that Isaac...

God’s patience is amazing! In one of the most extraordinary examples of it, He gave Jezebel time to repent. When Ahab her wicked husband humbled himself, God healed and restored him. Humbling yourself before God will turn things around in your life when nothing else will work. James writes: ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up’ (James 4:10). Humble yourself – don’t wait for God to do it! The Bible says: ‘Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as a son’ (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV). Notice two important statements in this Scripture: (1) ‘Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline.’ A “nobody’s going to tell me what to do” attitude cost Jezebel dearly, and it will cost you too! (2) “Do not lose heart when He rebukes you.’ Don’t see God’s correction as rejection, see it as proof you’re His child and that He has great plans for you. Paul con...

There’s a true story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor explained she had the same disease that he’d recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance of recovery was a transfusion from someone who’d conquered it, so the boy was an ideal donor. ‘Would you give your blood to Mary?’ the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated, his lower lip trembled, and then he smiled and said, ‘Sure, for my sister.’ Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room – Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met Johnny grinned. But as the nurse inserted the needle into his arm Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. With the ordeal almost over Johnny’s voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. ‘Doctor, when do I die?’ Only then did the doctor realise why little Johnny had hesitated, why his lips trembled when he agreed to donate his blood. He thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his lif...