Verse of the Day - John 3:17

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! ~ John 3:17 (CEV)

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I watched part of a TV show the other day, called "I Got Bitten..." You can imagine what that was about! Yeah, this guy was describing his tale of being bitten by a rattlesnake, and his ensuing rapid physical decline as a friend tried rushing him to get help. More than the bite site was swelling, as his airway was constricting, and his vision was becoming more and more tunneled. He was in real trouble! They drove and drove and finally flagged down a woman with a cellphone some 30 minutes after the incident. 9-1-1 was called, and the paramedics finally arrived to help him. But in the ambulance, in his frantic effort to breathe and probably an overall sense of panic, he was thrashing around and blocking efforts of the very people sent to save his life!

Humanity is sort-of like that rattlesnake bite victim. At first, he wasn't even sure he'd been bitten, but eventually the venom began coursing through his veins and the effects of the poison became evident. Humanity runs around thinking they're not poisoned either, until murder and drunkenness and adultery and slavery open our eyes that we have a problem. A real problem. A deadly problem. Toxic and invading, needing a life paramedic to fix the problem, to be our 9-1-1.

Unfortunately, when God steps in to be our 9-1-1, many people thrash around, deflecting and refusing His help. They're in spiritual delirium! They flail their spiritual arms in the air, grasping for help, but push God away. They turn to self-help books, therapists, Eastern meditation, counterfeit gods -- anything but the God who truly can rescue them. A God who does have the anti-venom that will save them -- that anti-venom is the blood of Jesus Christ. Able to rescue and save those who are dying from the bite of that great serpent, the devil.

If you are a believer in Jesus, you have been rescued -- praise God! But every day, you see others who are thrashing around with poison in their veins. Maybe they know they're sick, but won't turn to God. Or maybe they don't even know they've been bitten. Be available to people and listen to their heart condition. And be ready to show them the 9-1-1 they really need -- Jesus Christ, sent not to judge, but to save.

Love,
Joelene