THURSDAY, June 19th, 2008

Hello to All! I hope you enjoyed a great night sleep last night! Willbroke a new record last night! He slept until 7:15 this morning! YEAH!!!! Well, I hope that you were in church last night! We had a great time playing games, eating Nachos and being challenged by the word of God. I hope that last nights message worked in your heart! Remember, just like Ice cream is supposed to be cold, and split pea soup is supposed to be warm, Christians are supposed to be HOT! So get the stuff that makes you cold or warm out of your life! Be Hot for the Lord!

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Alex: Good Job being first! I forgot to award you guys last night! I will make up for it next week!
Josh L: Man I wish you were there in Bible times, because then you could have set all of those "ignorant people" straight. :) You are crazy man! I like to read you devos! I was dying when you said: "I think the miracle that Jesus should have done is give these people more brain cells"
Brooke: We will miss your miniature books! Herry back on when you can!
Jessica M: It is 8:35 AM and while I am doing my devos and eating breakfast in the rain, you are sweating to death at volleyball practice. Ha! : )
Phil: Your story was not "too long for my liking" because I could look down and see that it did eventually end at the end of the paragraph!
Rachel: What in the world did you do last night from 9:00 until 12:40 when you finaly decided to do your devos! :) I am glad that you are going to "try" to do your devotions earlier!

John 8:1-11
1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

What a great story! This is one of my "top 55 favorite stories in the bible!" It is such a great picture of mans wickedness and Gods love and forgiveness! So Jesus goes up to the mount of Olives! (Pastor Chip has been there! How cool is that!) And while Jesus is there teaching, once again the "religious" people try to cause trouble! They go and "find" a woman who is caught in the VERY ACT of adultery... (Is anyone else wondering how they knew that she was caught in the act? It was probably one of two things: 1. They were watching her "in the act" or 2. They knew she was getting into the situation and they let her commit this horrible sin, just so they could use her as an example)...When they bring her to Jesus they say: What do you have to say about this; Moses told us to stone her? What do you say?

This was another one of those moments where they were trying to trick Jesus into making a rash judgment, so that they could accuse Him of wrong doing... But Jesus is God, and He is wisdom in the flesh, Jesus knew exactly what they were trying to do... So Jesus said this:

He who is without sin let him cast the first stone!

What a great statement! Noe of these men had any right to attack this woman, If they were truely Godly men, then would have tried to help her and heal her and love her, not embarass her and try to kill her. What were they thinking?

They were thinking the same thing that we often think!

So often we will Look down on what other people do, instead of loving and helping them through it! Jesus very clearly says, dont stone anyone of you have committed sin yourself!

Now we do not stuggle with stoning people literally, but we struggle with stoning people in our thoughts, and in our words... Dont stone people mentally, verbally, or in any way unless you are wihtout sin. AND BY THE WAY: You are not without sin. Only Christ is, and He did not stone the woman, he told her...

Neither do I condemn thee, Go and sin no more!

That should be our motivation to live for Christ, although he had every right to condemn us for our sin, He did not. He chose to love us, and to give Himself for us, so that we would "go and sin no more"

GO! SIN NO MORE! Get the cold stuff out of your life so that you can be Hot for God!