Make Yourself Available
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Today, we are focusing on John 8:1-2. However, the chapter divide seems strange because it separates a sentence with a contrasting conjunction. So I’m going to read the last verses of chapter 7 and ignore the chapter break so we can get the line of reason. Let’s remember that the day before, during the great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus called the thirsty to come to Him and drink. He promised them that rivers of living water would flow from them. He caused quite an uproar and a great division developed about who Jesus is.
“Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, ‘Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?’ They answered him, ‘You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.’ Everyone went to his home. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.”
Jesus spent the night on the Mount of Olives, whereas the Pharisees went to their homes. Early the next morning, Jesus was back in the temple area, teaching those who came to Him. These are the thirsty souls responding to His invitation to come and drink. Notice how He made Himself available to them.
This is a good reminder to us about how we might love with Jesus. We make ourselves available to people who are thirsty and hungry. We offer others an invitation to be with us and drink from the life of Jesus within. Then, when they respond, we make ourselves available to them.
How available are you to those you want to love and serve? It is possible to be so occupied with our activities that we don’t make time for others. Being available means we’ll have to go where they are. We may need to slow down our roll and wait on them to sit down with us to talk. Jesus wanted to be with the people. This means we don’t rush out of church and go on our way, but we hang out to see who the Lord puts in our paths. I hope this encourages us to look for opportunities to be with people for the purpose of loving with Jesus.
Help Us Minister in South Africa
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about helping send Alma and me to South Africa in November? God has opened some exciting doors of opportunity to serve in South Africa. We will be participating in the debrief of the Global Challenge Expeditions one-year team. I was a part of their training before they left to serve in 15 countries this year. I’ve also been invited to share with several C12 forums comprised of owners, CEO’s, and businessmen and women. Equipping the young people who will return to their schools and churches with the live to love message and impacting the marketplace with the life of Jesus has incredible potential for the kingdom of God. The cost for our trip is $5000. It is a powerful testimony of the love of Christ to the South Africans that there are brothers and sisters in Christ in the U.S. that are willing to send us to serve them at no expense to them. Would you like to be a partner in sharing the love of Christ with us to South Africa?