The Gift Today I am excited and honored to hand this blog over to a guest blogger, my son, Josiah Furcinitti. Josiah, thank you for sharing your God-given insight and wisdom, and for allowing me to share that in turn with those who read this blog. I consider this a gift from God and receive it gladly. It is difficult for most people to receive a free gift from others. I don’t mean that it is physically difficult to take the gift, as though some force is stopping you. Rather, most people feel uncomfortable receiving something “just because.” While it is a great joy to give a gift to those you love, it is often rather uncomfortable to receive something. You may struggle to accept that which you have not earned. You may take issue with the fact that you have nothing with which you can reciprocate the kind gesture; perhaps you may even feel as though you now owe them something. You now feel like you must act a little kinder towards them, pay a little more attention to them, or perh
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Even the doubting John the baptist; a devoted and passionate man, wild for God. He was spoken of by the prophets, called by God and filled with the Holy Spirit. And he knew it. He proclaimed the truth, confidence ringing in his voice as he saw Jesus, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" God Himself even gave John a personal message, a foretelling, of how this Jesus, this Christ would be recognized. "And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." And His heart was submitted to Jesus, willing to give Him His rightful place in ministry and the plan of God, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Conviction, revelation, submission ... and doubt. Doubt? After his proclaimation, given revelation, signs that he had seen, John had questions about Jesus. From the dim, glum, and non-inspiring pit of prison, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for
Who do you say that I am? John 3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Jesus cared about Nicodemus. He conceded to meet with him at night, under the cover and secrecy of darkness, knowing full well that Nicodemus had chosen night to avoid harrasment from his fellow Jewish leaders. Yet Jesus still met with Him, because Jesus doesn't wait for us to become perfect before He'll meet with us. He cares about all men. Nicodemus was playing it safe, keeping a healthy distance in his commitment to who Jesus was. He spoke from a place of knowledge; of mental assesment of what he saw. Nicodemus played it safe but got it wrong. Rabbi (teacher), we