Would You Kiss The Feet Of Jesus Religion Essay

GNB ( MUSIC BED ) Hello and welcome to Word Alive. My name is ( – ) and Dr. Derek Stringer is here once more to inform from God ‘s Word in a manner that can transform our lives for the better.

This a Good News Broadcasting production. GNB as we call it has been learning the Word and touching the universe for 60 old ages taking the message of the Bible to put where merely wireless can travel. Daily we have 20 million people listening to our Bible based programmes. Derek Stringer is our Bible Teacher.

The current series on Word Alive is called Storm Proof Your Life. It ‘s based on selected transitions from Luke ‘s Gospel. We ‘ve seen what Jesus has to state about concern, guilt, fright, insecurity, emphasis and a batch more.

We have cassettes or Cadmium ‘s available, inquire us for inside informations. I ‘ll give you reach inside informations at the terminal of the programme.

Today we ask the challenging inquiry: Would You Snog The Feet Of Jesus?

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I ‘ll bit in from clip to clip but here ‘s Derek to present today ‘s topic.

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Thank you.

A adult male walked place from work one twenty-four hours when he saw a snail at his front door and said, “ Oh, a snail. “ A So he kicked it every bit hard as he could, directing the snail to his neighbor ‘s garden. One twelvemonth subsequently, the adult male was sitting in his front room observation

telecasting, when he heard a knock at the door. He answered the door happening no 1 at that place. As he was approximately to shut the door, he looked down and saw a snail. The snail looked up and said, “ So… .what was that all about? ”

My first reaction to this narrative was to believe, One twelvemonth is a mightyA long clip to keep a score ( good, possibly non long for a snail! ) . ” But, wait a minute! A The snail does n’t keep a grudge.A There ‘s no choler, no bitterness in his voice. It simply takes him a twelvemonth to be able to state what most of us have the chance to state within hours, if we choose: “ You hurt me. Maybe it was unwilled, but you hurt me. ”

That ‘s tough to make. A batch tougher than the option we frequently choose. . . stating everyone else we know about what that “ awful individual ” did to us. Yes, it ‘s tougher, but it ‘s important if we want to continue a good relationship.

Has person done something to ache you recently? A Why non cite up the bravery to state ( without choler or bitterness ) , “ You hurt me. What was that all about? ” Oh yes, and be prepared to forgive!

Today we are traveling to discourse a dinner party hosted by a adult male who needed to larn a batch about the right attitude. If we learn the lesson it will do a large and better difference to our lives.

Merely Dr. Luke records this beautiful narrative about an nameless adult female who wept at Jesus ‘ pess and anointed His pess with expensive aroma.

Let me unclutter up two points of confusion environing this incident from Luke 7:36.

First, through the old ages, people have erroneously identified this adult female as Mary Magdalene. There was a Mary Magdalene who followed Jesus and had seven devils cast out of her but there is perfectly no grounds she is the adult female in this narrative.

Second, this incident should non be confused with the anointing Mary of Bethany ( Martha and Lazarus ‘ sister ) administered to Jesus. A few yearss before Jesus was crucified, Mary anointed Jesus ‘ pess and caput with cherished perfume-as a preliminary to his entombment, Jesus understood. This incident in Luke 7 takes topographic point at a much earlier clip and a different topographic point.

As we read the history of this arresting love narrative, allow ‘s seek to put ourselves at the border of the crowd and let the eyes of our imaginativeness to see what happened:

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“ One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to hold dinner with him, so he went to the

Pharisee ‘s house and reclined at the tabular array. When a adult female who had lived a iniquitous life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee ‘s house, she brought an alabaster jar of aroma, and as she stood behind him at his pess crying, she began to wet his pess with her cryings. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured aroma on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “ if this adult male were a prophesier, he would cognize who is touching him and what sort of adult female she is – that she is a evildoer. ”

Jesus answered him, “ Simon, I have something to state you. ” “ Tell me, teacher, ” he said. “ Two work forces owed money to a certain usurer. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other 50. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more? ” Simon replied, “ I suppose the 1 who had the bigger debt cancelled. ” “ You have judged right, ” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the adult female and said to Simon, “ Do you see this adult female? I came into your house. You did non give me any H2O for my pess, but she wet my pess with her cryings and wiped them with her hair. You did non give me a buss, but this adult female, from the clip I entered, has non stopped snoging my pess. Therefore, I tell you, her many wickednesss have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven small loves small. ” Then Jesus said to her, “ your wickednesss are forgiven. ”

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The other invitees began to state among themselves, “ Who is this who even forgives wickednesss? ” Jesus said to the adult female, “ Your religion has saved you ; travel in peace. ”

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What a scene! Let ‘s delve a small deeper into the significance of this incident.

First Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘s reply the inquiry: GUESS WHO ‘S COMING TO DINNER?

To visualize the scene, you must understand the rudimentss of Judaic cordial reception. In Bible times, the usage of cordial reception dictated a affluent adult male was under societal duty to open his place to any noteworthy aliens who visited the country. So the fact Jesus was invited to dinner does non intend Simon admired Jesus. And one time Jesus was invited, it would hold been an abuse for Him to decline this invitation. In add-on, societal imposts besides required the affluent Pharisee to ask for everyone in the small town to go to as a bystander. This was their lone amusement. You could name it a Bible times talk show!

A certain protocol was followed when a invitee arrived. It was customary for the host to recognize him at the door and to put a buss on each cheek.

Any rabbi or instructor was particularly meriting of this salutation of honor. Then a retainer would convey H2O and take invitee ‘s sandals, rinse his pess and dry them with a soft towel. Another retainer would take a bead of scented oil and topographic point it on the invitee ‘s caput. Then the guest would be led to the low tabular array and given the place of honor. While eating, the invitees would lean back on low sofas, tilting on their left cubituss and eating with their right custodies ( the clean manus ) . It should hold been a clip of great joy and laughter but this repast did n’t travel every bit planned.

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Let ‘s detect the chief characters.

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First, there was a wicked, crying adult female.

To everyone ‘s surprise and to the discouragement of the host, this ill-famed adult female appeared at Jesus ‘ pess. She was crying and her cryings were falling on His pess. The original linguistic communication says she was “ a evildoer in the metropolis. ” That was a phrase transporting the same significance to us as “ a adult female of the dark ” or “ a street Walker. ” The linguistic communication indicates she was a cocotte, a prostitute. What do you believe she looked like?

Is she a little and attractive immature adult female and blessed with long thick black hair

and eyes every bit big as dark Moons? She moved quietly and gracefully, her form was

appealing to every oculus and the enviousness of many. But for all these good characteristics, she was a adult female without peace. Her head was a changeless battleground of right and incorrect.

Possibly she waited in the back street behind Simon ‘s house for a long clip inquiring if she should expose herself to the ridicule she knew would come. She hates herself. She hates what she has become. She hates what she does to gain money to eat and she wonders if this Jesus can truly alter her life. It is non until her eyes are swollen with cryings, her pharynx is sore from the muffled shortness of breath, and her bosom is wholly broken that she decides to travel in the house. Any life would be better than the one she has now. Beauty, ownerships, popularity, even eating can non take the topographic point of peace.

I ‘m certain Simon and the other “ respectable ” people were whispering to each other, “ what is SHE making here? ”

That ‘s a good inquiry. What WAS she making at that place?

I think it ‘s clear from the consequence of her actions she was at that place looking for something. She had heard about Jesus and had heard He was offering something none of her clients of all time offered: He was offering forgiveness. As she got near to Jesus, the bosom of this hardened adult female literally broke unfastened. She wept because she realised her horrid iniquitous status. Respectable adult females ne’er let down their hair in public. But she is at a point where she no longer cares what anyone thinks about her ; she

sees she can offer a really personal portion of her to assist Jesus. So she lets down her hair to pass over His pess.

Prostitutes of that twenty-four hours frequently wore a phial of aroma hanging by a cord around their cervixs. In a civilization where bathing was infrequent, a pleasant aroma would hold been their stock in trade. A bead or two would be used to lure prospective clients. But the linguistic communication used in this transition indicated she poured out all her

aroma. Make you see the significance of what she did? She broke the phial to anoint Jesus with the aroma. She broke the tools of her trade. It was her manner of stating “ I wo n’t necessitate this anymore. I ‘m doing a clean interruption with my yesteryear. ”

Then she began to snog Jesus ‘ pess.

This was non uncommon in ancient times because it was one of the ways a beaten enemy surrendered to the 1 who had won the conflict. It was non merely a mark of fondness from this adult female.

It was her manner of stating, “ I surrender to you Jesus. You have won. I give up. Your grace has conquered my obstinate spirit. ” What a beautiful image of worship and worship!

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Let ‘s take merely a minute and analyze the host.

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A rancid holier-than-thou skeptic.

We are told Simon is a Pharisee. He was a punctilious perceiver of the spiritual Torahs of the Old Testament.

He fasted, he tithed and he gave money to the hapless. He was a respectable citizen of the community. He served on all the right boards and commissions. He ne’er missed a Sabbath service or feast twenty-four hours. He knew his Bible backward and frontward. He was a great adult male, a fable in his ain head!

Let ‘s play Simon Says for a minute.

What did Simon state? He did n’t state it out loud but he spoke to himself with a self-satisfied sense of satisfaction. “ I knew it. This Jesus can non be a prophesier. A existent prophesier would cognize this adult female was a cocotte and he would surely prohibit her to touch him. Well! Jesus is finished now. Wait until word gets around he allow this immoral adult female dun over him like that! ”

His ideas merely confirm what he had suspected. You see, Simon had a high sentiment of himself. He thought he was immensely superior to that wicked adult female and he even felt now he was above Jesus. He joined the other holier-than-thou people

cutting their eyes from the scene to each other.

Each glimpse said, “ Can you believe what SHE is making? Can you believe HE is allowing her? ”

Are there any attitudes like that left around these yearss?

Let ‘s conceive of a Church societal assemblage where everyone is dressed to kill in her interior decorator apparels, tasteful, refined, elegant. These all right ladies are standing around sipping their tea speaking about the Lord ‘s work. Suddenly a adult female walks in have oning a tight, abruptly, leather miniskirt and a decollete blouse, platform places and fish-net stockings- her hair is a bright ruddy that can merely come from a bottle and her oculus make-up is dark and thick. Let ‘s stand back and watch the glimpses and listen to the comments. What would go on?

Or here ‘s a Church group of successful cats who golf together. They are have oning their interior decorator label shirts and slacks, and are all successful in their concerns. A homeless cat lurchs into their small spiritual group and attempts to inquire for aid. Let ‘s watch their reaction as good.

Simon ‘s ascendants are alive and good and populating among us.

Who do you more closely place with, the cocotte at the pess of Jesus or the smug, spiritual Pharisee? I ‘m non speaking about life style ; I ‘m speaking about attitude.

Of class, God does n’t desire us to take sexually immoral lives. His program for our lives is that we would hunger for and prosecute sanctity. But when it comes to our attitudes

toward people who are n’t like us, do we happen a small of that Pharisee superciliousness lifting up in us?

We must be careful that while we denounce sin, we must non except the evildoer from the grace of God. God has n’t called us to judge or reprobate evildoers but to indicate them to Jesus. If we are n’t careful, we will pass all our clip knocking people who are n’t like us.

I read a true narrative about a adult female who enjoyed doing wax statuettes. She wanted to better her accomplishment so she attended a dark category taught by a local creative person. This instructor nevertheless, took an immediate disfavor to her for no evident ground. This disfavor shortly took on the signifier of rough unfavorable judgment of her work, no affair how good it was. Each hebdomad she tried harder than the old hebdomad to do a wax figure better than earlier. But to no help, the instructor criticised more than of all time. On her really last hebdomad she approached the instructor and placed her concluding undertaking, an apple, on the instructor ‘s desk. The instructor looked at it with contempt and instantly put about knocking her

work. It was non ruddy plenty, non round plenty, non glistening plenty, non large plenty. When the instructor eventually finished, the lady mutely took the apple and ate it.

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There is another character at the dinner party.

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The lovable, liberating Lord.

His name is Jesus. It ‘s interesting He allows the fallen adult female to near Him and to rinse His pess with her cryings. He does n’t turn and state, “ No, you do n’t hold to make that. I know who you are and what you ‘ve done and it ‘s all right, you can halt now. ”

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Without a word spoken, He accepts her Acts of the Apostless of love. Why?

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Well, merely as He was traveling to read Simon ‘s ideas in a minute, He could read the adult female ‘s head. Behind the shortness of breaths and cryings, He heard a bosom breakage over wickedness, seeking forgiveness and making out to love and idolize.

Here, Jesus is literally touched by the cryings of a adult female whose eyes became a fountain.

Have you of all time used the word “ lovable ” in relation to Jesus? We frequently use the word “ loving. ” Certain, Jesus loves us. He is loving. But He is besides one who is lovable. That is, He is worthy to be loved and He accepts our love. We all need to be loved but we besides need person to love. I ‘m happy to describe today that Jesus will allow you love Him.

One more thing about Jesus before we move on. He was able to read Simon ‘s ideas. Simon did n’t talk his critical, doubting words out loud. If you still think Jesus is impressed by all your spiritual words and cliches, retrieve, He is reading our heads at this minute, excessively!

That leads Jesus to present THE AFTER-DINNER SPEECH.

Like every good feast, there was an after-dinner address and Jesus gives it.

Notice the short narrative of two debitors.

This is one of Jesus ‘ shortest fables.

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One adult male owed 500 denarii and another owed 50. A denarius was approximately the sum of money a adult male made working an full twenty-four hours.

What is the entire sum you would do in about two old ages?

That ‘s how much the first adult male owed.

The 2nd adult male owed about what one made in two months.

The banker forgave both debts.

Who is traveling to be more appreciative?

That ‘s a no-brainer and even Simon gets the right reply.

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Beware the Lord ‘s fables. They are God ‘s stethoscope. The Good Doctor is look intoing the status of the bosom, listening for religion and disbelief.

At this point, Jesus delivers his putsch de gras. He tells Simon to look at the wicked adult female. Why? Good Pharisees would non even look at a adult female like that. Jesus takes a minute to compare Simon and this adult female. At this point, we learn Simon deliberately insulted Jesus by keep backing the Acts of the Apostless of common courtesy at his reaching. Simon had non kissed Jesus, nor had his pess washed, nor anointed His hair with a bead of oil. This abuse would be the same as if I publically refused to agitate the manus of person who offers it to me.

Jesus points out this adult female of the street, non a righteous Pharisee, had a greater sense of right and incorrect. She stepped in to make what Simon had non done. Her cryings, her hair, and her aroma were substituted for what Simon deliberately withheld.

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Then in poetry 47, Jesus sums it up by stating, “ Her many wickednesss have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven small loves small. ”

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What a bombshell. Everyone knows Jesus is speaking about Simon and He was speaking about us, every bit good.

Here ‘s the point: The deepness and look of your love for Jesus is connected to how urgently you know you need forgiveness. Simon thought forgiveness was something he deserved because he was such a good cat. And besides, he did n’t truly hold much that needed to be forgiven anyhow. That attitude still exists

today.

On the other manus, many of us feel precisely like the cocotte. We realise our wickedness is a stinking, putrefying, decomposing muss and we urgently need Jesus to clean up our lives, to forgive our wickedness. And when we realise He has, we want to merely fall at His pess and snog them over and over once more.

Would you snog the pess of Jesus if you had the opportunity? His Body is here, the church, and you and I have the opportunity to humble ourselves and snog the pess of Jesus every clip we serve the church in humbleness. Jesus is still lovable and He accepts every act of love offered to Him.

Charles Spurgeon was a enormous Bible expounder. I do n’t cite him much because his discourses were preached at a clip when oratory was an art signifier and it ‘s a small flowery for today ‘s audiences. However, I want to do an exclusion today. I want to read you what he had to state about this adult female.

Spurgeon preached without notes, so these words were recorded merely as he spoke them:

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“ The adult female, about unremarked, came near to him, and, as she looked and saw that the Pharisee had refused him the ordinary courtesy of rinsing his pess, and that they were all stained and travel-worn with his long journeys of love, she began to cry, and the cryings fell in such ample showers that they even washed his pess.

Here was holy H2O of a true kind.

The crystal of repentance falling in beads, each one every bit cherished as a diamond.

Never were pess bedewed with a more cherished H2O than those repentant eyes showered Forth. Then, unbinding those epicurean braids, which had been for her the Satan ‘s cyberspaces in which to mire psyches, she wiped the sacred pess therewith. Surely she thought that her main adornment, the Crown and glorification of her muliebrity, was all excessively worthless a thing to make service to the lowest and meanest portion of the Son of God. Her fluxing hair, which one time was her amour propre now was humbled and yet exalted to the lowest office. Then she began to snog those pess, to meekly pay fear to those blessed limbs. She spake non a word, but how facile were her actions!

Better even than Psalmss and anthems were these Acts of the Apostless of devotedness. Then she thought of her alabaster cruse incorporating perfumed oil with which, like most Eastern adult females, she was wont to anoint herself for the pleasance of the odor and for the addition of her beauty, and now, opening it, she pours out the costliest thing she has upon his blest pess.

Not a word, I say, came from her ; and, brethren, we would prefer a individual speechless lover of Jesus, who acted as she did, to ten thousand noisy speakers who have no gifts, no bosom, no cryings. ”

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That ‘s non all though, there ‘s more.

Have you of all time eaten a repast at a all right eating house and had the waiter bring the sweet tray around? It is full of delectable, sweet, daintinesss.

That ‘s truly what Jesus does in this brush. As you can conceive of, the air is thick with the tenseness of the eventide. Jesus looks straight at the adult female for the first clip and speaks to her as if there is no 1 else in the room. His regard captures her bosom and she hears merely His voice.

He offers her a three-course sweet. And by the manner, He offers the same to you today.

HOW SWEET IT IS!

YOU CAN: Be FORGIVEN-RELEASED from guilt.

Jesus said in poetry 48, “ your wickednesss are forgiven. ” The root word for “ forgive ” means “ to let go of. ” A enormous weight of guilt and shame had been weighing to a great extent on this adult female. In that one statement, she must hold felt the weight of the universe lift off her shoulders. Like a bird released from its coop, she was liberated by Jesus ‘ love and forgiveness!

He is offering you forgiveness today. Will you accept His offer?

In Psalm 53:1, we read these powerful words, “ The sap says in his bosom, ‘There is no God. ‘ ” In the original Hebrew it merely says, “ The sap says, ‘No God. ‘ ” It ‘s like person offering you a functioning of sweet and you say, “ No sweet. ” You are n’t stating the sweet does n’t be, you are merely saying you do non take to eat it.

That ‘s what Psalm 53:1 truly says.

A sap is a individual, who upon being offered God ‘s love and forgiveness says, “ No, God. ” It does n’t intend God does n’t be. It means that individual chooses, “ no God for me. ” Jesus is offering you full forgiveness and forgiveness: Will you accept it?

More than that: You can Be SAVED-by FAITH accept His forgiveness.

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In verse 50 Jesus says to the adult female, “ your religion has saved you

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Did you notice Jesus puts redemption in the past tense? He did n’t state, “ your religion will salvage you ” or “ your religion may salvage you, ” He said, “ your religion HAS saved you. ”

Remember, God tosses us grace, love, clemency, and forgiveness. Faith is our response as we reach out and “ gimmick ” what God sends our manner. What a word of confidence!

The following twenty-four hours, if you had asked the former cocotte whether or non she was saved, what do you believe her reply would be? “ I hope so? ” “ Possibly? ” No, she would state, “ I know I ‘m saved because Jesus himself told me my religion has saved me! ”

Let me inquire you a inquiry: If Jesus Christ looked you in the eyes and told you the same thing He told that adult female, “ your religion has saved you, ” would you of all time doubt your redemption once more? You say, “ Surely non! Oh, how I wish Jesus would state that to me! ” Listen He has said it.

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In John 3:36 we read, “ Whoever believes in the Son has ageless life. ”

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No inquiry about it-God did n’t bumble. If you are swearing Jesus to salvage you, you have ( right now ) ageless life!

You can Be FORGIVEN. You can Be SAVED, and one more thing:

You can Travel IN PEACE-walk through life with an interior tranquility

I love the last three words Jesus speaks to the changed adult female: “ Travel in peace. ” She approached Jesus as a pain, atrocious evildoer. Her life was one of shame and convulsion. Peace was a alien to her. She left Jesus a changed adult female, forgiven, saved and able to see peace. Does anyone listening believe she went directly back into her life of wickedness? Of class non! She was a new individual.

That ‘s what happens when a individual meets Jesus. He changes us from the interior out.

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“ If any individual is in Christ they are a new creative activity. Old things are passed off, behold all things have become new! ”

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She was a changed adult female!

She no longer lived the life of wickedness she practised earlier.

Augustine, the great Christian mind, consorted with a cocotte before he was saved. After his redemption experience, the adult female saw him on the street and called to him, “ Augustine, Augustine, it is I! ” Turning to walk off Augustine said, “ Yes, but it is no longer I! ” He had been changed and so had the adult female in Luke.

Where make you suit into this narrative?

Have you been forgiven but you truly have n’t shown your love and worship to Jesus for His forgiveness? What a beautiful image of worship this adult female gives us.

We can larn some enormous things about worship by merely watching her.

Worship ever happens at the pess of Jesus.

Worship is a preoccupation with Jesus, non some signifier or ritual.

Worship is more concerned about giving something than acquiring something.

Make you necessitate to fall at the pess of Jesus today and snog them and state, “ Thank you Jesus for forgiving my atrocious wickednesss? ”

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Some folks may associate to old Simon.

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Yes, we are so spiritual and rigorous, if person comes into our service that looks and acts different than our small “ holy theoretical account ” we get all hot and bothered like Simon. Oh, when are we traveling to larn the people out there who have n’t yet come to Jesus for forgiveness are different from us? They are alkies, kid maltreaters, drug nuts, felons, cocottes, and porn merchants. Are we traveling to turn our olfactory organs up at them when they come seeking what this adult female came seeking? All of us like that demand to acquire on our face at the pess of Jesus and get down snoging His pess.

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Merely possibly you feel like the adult female before she approached Jesus.

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You fear you are n’t good plenty to near Him-let me set your head at ease-you are n’t good plenty! None of us are. But when Jesus looks at you, He sees you non for what you have become, but for what you can go through His grace and forgiveness. When Jesus looked at that adult female, He did n’t see a cocotte. He saw what she could go when she was forgiven. He saw the beauty beneath the surface of the prostitute.

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Here ‘s a true narrative.

A twosome decided to sell a mirror they ‘d received as a nuptials gift. It was an expensive mirror but they were selling it because it had a gaudy, aqua-coloured frame that did n’t fit anything else in their house. A adult male bought the mirror for a lb. He was excited. He said, “ This is a great deal-it still has the plastic on the frame! ” He peeled off the aqua-covered plastic to uncover a beautiful gold finished frame!

That ‘s what Jesus did with that adult female and that ‘s what He does for us.

He knows below the gaudy, ugly surface there is something beautiful waiting to be revealed. His forgiveness liberates us and deprive off the ugly covering. Will you fall at His pess today and let Him to alter you everlastingly?

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You have been listening to Word Alive with Derek Stringer.

Derek Stringer will be back in the following edition of Word Alive with more from the instruction of Jesus about how to Ramp Proof Our Lifes.

Until so, this is ( – ) with Dr Stringer and the Good News Broadcasting squad wishing you good. Good-bye and God bless you.