I am trying to practice adding pictures to my blog but my choices are limited. I did manage to find this picture of some awesome college students from Altoona Penn State Campus. I had the privilege to spend the weekend with them last fall at a state park. We had a "JoyShop" time!
These past two weeks I have been studying John 3 and 4 and I have discovered some startling contrasts with the help of a commentary. We encounter Jesus dealing with two completely opposite people in two different ways.
In John 3 we meet a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus and he is of high rank, a member of the Jewish counsel.
In John 4 the woman’s name is never mentioned and she is of low rank
Nicodemus is a Favored Jew and the woman is a despised Samaritan
Nicodemus had a high reputation, the woman was known as an adulterous
Nicodemus sought Jesus out at night
Jesus seeks out the Samaritan woman at the noon hour
Jesus says to the self-righteous Pharisee, “You must be born again.”
Jesus tells the Gentile sinner about “the gift of God.”
They both ask “How” to Jesus’ statement
They both meet His response with a skeptical attitude.
To Nicodemus he manifest Himself as TRUTH
To the Samaritan woman he manifests himself as GRACE
Jesus had to break down the pride of the Pharisee with the truth that all of Nicodemus’ religious training would not help him to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus declared to him, “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
The Samaritan woman had no pride. She was so ashamed of her past that she came out at noon to draw water when no one else would be there. Jesus presented Himself to her in grace, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that ask you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
We see his approach to Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman fulfilled in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
How divinely inspirational it is that John included these two incidents for our benefit. If I had to admit who I was most like, the religious Pharisee or the Samaritan woman, I’d have to go with the Samaritan woman. I am a sinner in desperate need of God’s grace and I praise God for giving me the living water of eternal life. Jesus satisfies my thirst!
MINISTRY UPDATE
Penn Manor High School Christian Club: Close to 35 students participated in a mini JoyShop. The students were very gracious to me. They were attentive and managed to stay awake during the 50 minute lecture these past two Wednesdays. A couple comments:
“I’ve been to a few JoyShops. They’re awesome! I always feel so uplifted afterward.”
“Thanks so much—you are a true encouragement. You were the boost I needed to seek God and not let Satan win the war.”
Sorry, but I have to tell you a story. Last Wednesday, Dennis Mylin, an adult, attended the JoyShop. I know Dennis from my teen pregnancy days. I use to give him guitar lessons every Monday night, while his mom would bake snack’s in our kitchen for our family. Our two families would play games and eat the yummy snacks after the lesson was over. This was a gift to me during my pregnancy. I looked forward to every Monday night and felt like I was doing something to help someone. Last week, I had told the students that I was going to do a book special just for them, two books for the price of one! My hearts desire was to see the book get into as many students hands as possible. What a JOY to receive an email from Dennis early this week, saying that he is involved with the youth at The Millersville Bible Church and that they wanted to sponsor 30 books for me to give out free at Penn Manor today! So after the JoyShop we were able to hand out free books to everyone. (We had to give away a few of our own books!) Please pray that the Lord spreads that book around Penn Manor.
Recently a board member told me that they had over heard some students talking and they mentioned my book! One student said they were on their third time through the book. Praise the Lord!
PRAISE
For a renewed friendship in my life that has led to a new board member! Judy Harnish has recently joined our board of directors and we are looking forward to her role in the ministry.
For the Pocket Testament League’s promotional of Joyshop Ministries pocket testament in a recent email to all of its members across the states and international. They have also recently expressed their plans to redesign their web page to encourage members to take the 21 DC! This is an answer to our prayers!
For this comment received through face book from a young woman who is in missionary work and had attended a JoyShop this past fall:
“Just the other week, I led team cell for my team in Israel and I decided to play the recording of your message to us in HDC about personal devotions. It was so refreshing to hear and very meaningful. Some of the things that you said went right along with things that I was struggling with in personal daily devotions. I believe our whole team really enjoyed the message and sought to spend more time in the word.”
Joyshop Ministries message in Israel….how awesome is that!!!!!!!
Just think, when the Lord works out the details for taping JoyShop professionally, the ministry will be able to go to so many more places!!
Over the weekend my son, Josh, received this text message from a young woman in high school in Reading who had just finished reading, “The File”
“It was really good. I could not put it down…it taught me a lot too, and now when I have free time in my day I spend it by reading my bible instead of flipping on the T.V.”
These comments make my heart sing! God is answering our prayers. He is using the book for the main purpose that I wrote the book…..to get everyone to open God’s File and read his love letters instead of wasting time in front of that idol….television!
Prayer Requests
Beginning this Friday, I will have nine days of extreme busyness.
Pray for the JoyShop I will be conducting locally this weekend for a group of women
Pray for safety travels as Deb Risser, Judy Harnish, and myself fly to Dallas Texas for the Christian Management Association Conference. We hope to learn a lot during our 5 day trip that will help to strengthen our ministry. However, pray for the contacts we will make there. I just can’t help but think that we are going out there for a specific purpose. I want to publicly thank Jack Pieklo who worked very hard to pull together “emergency” brochures to take along so that we can have something to hand out to other contacts while at the conference.
Pray for the JoyShop I will be doing the following weekend at Kenbrook Bible Camp with some men from my home church. Pray that the Lord will use these men who have a desire to grow closer to God to make a lasting impact in our church and our community.
Pray for energy as I finish at Kenbrook on Saturday afternoon and drive to another location to speak at a Mother Daughter Banquet at Trinity ECC in the evening.
In Him,
Anita
No comments:
Post a Comment