Thanks! Keep me in prayer so I can pull it off without dishonoring the
LORD!
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "j.ireland" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 7:33 PM
Subject: Re: THE CONVERSATION
> I think that's pretty cool!
>
> Vicki
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ariel" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 12:30 PM
> Subject: THE CONVERSATION
>
>
> > Hey, Family.
> >
> > You might remember me mentioning that I'm scheduled to preach on 13
> January.
> > I was planning on doing an involved study on how "Everything Old is New
> > Again", but after thinking about it I thought it might be better to do
> > something simple but unusual. To get back to basics in an unusual way
> since
> > it will be a jaded audience of all preachers. So I thought I'd do a
little
> > one-man drama where I walk into the room (maybe dressed in a white robe)
> and
> > start speaking to the congregation as if it is one person. Let me know
if
> > you think this can be pulled off or if it's too strange. Smile. So
> imagine
> > I walk into the room in my white robe, sit down at a table facing the
> > congregation and say...
> >
> > "Hello, my friend! I'm glad you made it back from your trip before
sunset
> > and could come to see me. Too bad you weren't here yesterday. What a
> time
> > you missed! I invited that young rabbi for a meal...You know, the one
> that
> > does all those amazing things but is so strange, so I planned to find
out
> > the truth about him or put him in his place, once and for all.
> >
> > So, he shows up at my door with a group of his friends including a woman
> of
> > all things. That woman that has the reputation for bringing a good time
> > with her, if you know what I mean. But who am I to turn them away? So
I
> > invite them in and could they eat! They were eating me out of house and
> > home I tell you. And all the time the Rabbi is talking to me about his
> > father. Why I couldn't get a word in. ...His father this, his father
> that,
> > and that I could have his father for my father. That I could have GOD
for
> > my father!!
> >
> > Imagine the madness! Ha! He should have known MY father. Then he
could
> > find out...But you know, in a strange way, it was as if he did. It was
> like
> > he did know...It was like he knew all about me...imagine...Imagine to
> really
> > have GOD as our father and to start all new...all new...
> >
> > Ah, but it's madness! Madness. So I told him so, told him straight out
> to
> > take his sinner friends and go...
> >
> > Nicodemus! Nicodemus, come back...It's dark, Nicodemus...Where are you
> > going? It's too late! It's too late!
> >
> > (Reading from John 3:1 thru 18)
> >
> > Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
> Jews;
> > this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that
You
> > have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You
do
> > unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly,
I
> > say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
> > Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot
> > enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus
> > answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
the
> > Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of
the
> > flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not
be
> > amazed that I said to you, `You must be born again.' The wind blows
where
> it
> > wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from
> and
> > where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus
> said
> > to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are
> you
> > the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly,
I
> > say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen,
and
> > you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do
> not
> > believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has
> > ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
As
> > Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
Man
> > be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
For
> > God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
> > believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not
> > send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might
> be
> > saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not
> > believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name
> of
> > the only begotten Son of God."
> >
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